Cinder and Ashes: Post-apocalyptic group roleplay (Open to all!)

[redryder]

For the people of Hatchet Falls, South Dakota - could it even be called "South Dakota" anymore? Did such a thing exist? - the end came swiftly. One day, everything else was there, and the next, it wasn't. What had happened remained a bit of a mystery. They knew they were present. They knew there were other people alive within the Great Plains itself, perhaps even as far away as Minneapolis. (Old Man Stubbins had heard the chatter on his HAM radio, before that went kaput.) But they also knew that beyond this tiny area was a wasteland, a world beyond recognition.

They had not been brave enough to send riders after only one horse returned from the first expedition, white-eyed with terror and unable to be calmed. They had to put the horse down.

For a time, they welcomed stragglers who made their way across the great North American continent and found their way to Hatchet Falls. The town, less than 500 people before the fall, was growing at an astounding rate. They had the radio tower to thank for that. Somehow, Jenni Sanford, just 17 at the time, had figured out a way to override the signal, to broadcast one message: Come to Hatchet Falls, followed by latitude and longitude.

They, of course, had shut off the transmission after the incident.

The town was governed by a town council, at the head of which was the mayor, Brent Olsen. Mayor Olsen was growing old, and his eyesight was failing him. He had been instrumental in striking the truce with the nearby monastery that provided for both Hatchet Falls' growing citizenry and the monks there. The two were locked in a kind of symbiosis, a symbiosis that made the deputy mayor, Shaun Poe, blanch. He was young - 30 - and a native and counted himself lucky that he and his wife Trish were visiting town for a summer vacation when the end came. The town was suspicious of his "city folk" ways, but they had to admit that the policy he and Mayor Olsen had come up with in those dark days still worked. Anyone who wanted entrance to Hatchet Falls was allowed it, provided they would work for the betterment of the community and agree to the town charter. Aside from a few small scuffles, the peace had held for five years, five years more than neighboring towns - now ghost towns - had been able to hold on.

But Mayor Olsen was old and the townspeople didn't trust Shaun, and no one was sure what would happen once Mayor Olsen died. By all rights, the mayoral office should pass to Shaun long enough to hold an election, but democracy is tenuous when you're the last democracy left.

The rest of the council consisted of Jenni Sanford, now 22 but even more brilliant; Dale Josefson, an old classmate of Shaun's and the closest thing the town had to a doctor; and Diane Romanesko, head of the local schools. Advising the board were Sheriff Isabel Isaacson, sheriff before the fall and damn certain she would be sheriff for years after, and Brother Francis, from the monastery.

But out in the town were close to 2,000 souls, standing together to try to keep out the darkness that had shut out much of the world. And yet even they knew that darkness is hungry, that safety is not a sure thing, that freedom and liberty and all those good things are the first things to go in times of uncertainty.

And uncertainty was just around the corner.

(OOC: Welcome to Hatchet Falls! I've tried to give you a wide variety of possible starting places up above. I've bolded settings and characters that will be important. I ONLY ASK you leave me Shaun and Trish, as they are, roughly, the center of this story. If you want to pick up one of the characters above and take off, go for it! If you want to start out the story in the wasteland, struggling to make it to Hatchet Falls, go for it! Or if you want to start off with a quiet scene of a mother trying to find food for her kids, go for it! There's more than enough material in this world - which I've been toying around with for the better part of 15 years now - for us to have a LOT of fun, I think. If you have any questions about the setting, please do ask. IF YOU WANT TO JOIN THE GAME, PLEASE SAY SO IN THIS THREAD. All - even the unapproved - are welcome, but letting me know ahead of time will help me work you into the story more gracefully. So pick up one of my dolls to play with or create your own. But let's get going!)

[redryder]

The one thing Trish could never get used to was how dark the night was now. She'd never lived in a place where it was dark enough to see more than a few stars growing up, and now, the very fact that she could see, seemingly, ALL of them was deeply unsettling to her. The flames flickering on the edge of the town, the few electric lights Jenni was able to keep running, these were the things that stood out in the dark, and they didn't stand out terribly well.

Somewhere, out in the darkness, an owl hooted softly. At least one species seemed OK with the new status quo.

She shivered and drew her coat tighter about her, wishing she was at home and in bed. But no, this was the night she had been chosen to stand watch. Everyone in town stood watch one night out of the year, and this was her night.

Sadly, she was sharing it with Kayla, a taciturn woman who grunted answers to most questions but one of the better teachers, or so she heard, and Victoria, a British woman, deadly in a fight, but one who had arrived under mysterious circumstances, just a few weeks before the end. The deal that had brought her here -- some sort of police cultural exchange -- still struck her as a bit suspect, but ... well ... the town had more than enough suspect characters now to go around. She could get through a night with these women. It just wouldn't be a very TALKATIVE night.

CHRIST, it was cold. Winter seemed to come earlier with every year. Likely not a GOOD sign.

The watchtowers, five in total, sat, watching the open prairie. As the other side of town butted up against the Missouri River, there was essentially no way that anyone could approach from that direction. That was the theory, at least.

And, honestly, it was terribly unlikely anyone would approach from the prairie. Not with the big load of nothing out there.

But the incident had come from that side, in the night, and the people liked feeling safe. Plus, it had been her husband's fucking idea, and he always somehow ended up serving in the fucking summer, didn't he.

She grumbled and poured herself more cold coffee, pacing a bit.

Wait.

Was that?

She squinted a bit, to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

She nudged Kayla and Victoria. "Quick. Is that ...?"

It was. Out on the surface of the river ... the river few were strong enough to cross in boat, much less via swimming, was a small point of light, a flicker of flame.

And it was coming closer and closer.

Without a word, Trish reached up and rang the alarm.

(OOC: DarkNinja and Toys? You know where you're at. If any other players wish to introduce a character to the game now, please begin as if you are awakened by the alarm bells or perhaps on the boat - or whatever it may be - that's approaching the village. Go nuts!)

[toysintheattic]

Kayla loathed these nights. She would much rather be in the comfort of her own home, wearing Wednesday night's pajamas and reading one of her well-worn and well-known books. However, as her father would've told her if he was brooding next to her now, everyone must perform a duty for their community and country at some point in their lives, lest they be a worthless and pathetic mite of a human being. Kayla roamed her eyes across the sky, naming constellations to herself to pass the time. She tried to the best of her ability not to glance towards her companions, wanting to avoid conversation as little as possible. Trish Poe was a respectable woman in Kayla's eyes. Very well educated, very well mannered, and she didn't talk too much. This was all Kayla knew and cared to know about Trish Poe or anyone else in this town. As for the other, Victoria, she knew nothing of her except for her background in law enforcement, which Kayla could only respect.
A stinging, unwanted thought entered Kayla's mind and was pushed out almost as suddenly as it appeared. Would her father have been proud of her if she had shown interest in law enforcement or the military? And if he had been proud of her, would he have granted her his love then? Kayla glanced towards Trish to distract herself. She was pouring another cup of coffee, and she seemed distressed. Kayla only wondered for a flicker of a second what for. Kayla averted her attention back to the sky, but did not have the time to see if Orion was in the sky tonight, because Trish uttered something Kayla didn't catch and pointed towards the river.
Kayla immediately saw the cause of Trish's distress. A small point of light was coming ever closer towards them. Someone crossing the river seemed an incredulous idea to Kayla. If someone was, they must be suicidal or desperate. As Trish rang the alarm, Kayla peered intensely at the oncoming light.

[darkninja0200]

Victoria sighed as she leaned against th wall with the other two girls still trying to figure out after all this time how she managed to get transferred to America. She really disliked this country with al of the sexist and racists here. She looked down at the snow at her feet that seemed to have collected around her boots clumping around them. She wore her winter police outfit which had slight differences from the one she wore in England but was only slightly similar. It was a Warm winter coat with a police star on the arm showing th Hatchett falls police symbol and a thick pair of pants both of which were blue.

"God it's colder then a witches tit out here" she was used to cold winters in some parts of britain but this seemed unusually cold. She watched her breath com out of her nostrils trying to guage the temperature wondering if she had to use her gun if it wouldn't jam because of the cold. She was nudged by one of the girls who pinted in a direction and she got out her Binoculars and tried to get a look but saw that the man was hooded and couldn't get a look at him she put the binoculars away and sighed as the Alarm sounded.. As the only police officer around it was her duty to try and deal with the situation. She walked to the edge of the lake and yelled out with cupped hands "Halt this is the Hatchett Falls police... you are asked to either turn your boat around and leave or wait there for a boat to come and take you into custody!" She stared wondering what the mans intentions were.

[redryder]

The light rowed closer and closer to the shore, not stopping, even though Victoria - who'd made amazing time through town, Trish thought idly - was holding her gun out.

As the boat - for that was what it was - came closer and closer, strange sounds could be heard. "Help! Help us, please!" and the stomping of hooves, a horse's whinny. Trish reached over to try to get Victoria to lower her gun, but it was useless. The woman was in the zone. She looked over to Kayla for support, but Kayla very quickly looked away, concentrating on the small light bobbing closer.

The rowboat had three figures in it. One was a teenaged girl in a long, hooded robe, almost like the monks wore (though she was coming from the wrong direction to be coming from the monastery). The next was a much smaller child that the teenaged girl held in her arms. And looming above them was a giant, white horse, whinnying into the cold night air, its breath turning immediately to steam.

Trish saw three problems with this scenario:

1.) No one ... and NO ONE ... had come to Hatchet Falls in over three years. They had accounted for everyone within a 30 mile radius, and so far as they knew, the communities that existed beyond that radius were uninterested in their existence. Sure, there were stragglers, like that old hermit who lived out in the middle of nowhere and only came to town a few times a year, but they KNEW the stragglers.

2.) So far as anyone knew, Hatchet Falls was the farthest western town still remaining. Beyond the river - and they had CHECKED this - was all desolation and ashes. The girl and her companions were coming from a wasteland.

3.) Where the hell had the rowboat come from?

A crowd was gathering. The girl stumbled from the boat. "Please help. My sister is dying."

Trish looked around nervously. "Victoria, lower your gun," she hissed, though the woman just barked her orders yet again. She looked toward Kayla, who at least had experience dealing with girls around the age of the girl on the boat. "Talk to her, maybe? Like one of your students?"

The girl was blubbering on ... "We came when we heard the transmission. The radio ..."

Trish froze. The transmission had been shut off three years earlier. She looked toward Kayla and Victoria with worried eyes, hoping they would pick up on this flub.

(OOC: If you've posted a character in the discussion thread, feel free to introduce that character her. Perhaps our hermit friend heard the alarm and came to investigate? Perhaps you woke up and are standing, watching the confrontation? Or perhaps you're one of the girls on the boat?)

[darkninja0200]

Victoria puther gun in it's holster and fastened it and came up to the group still very cautious. She picked up on this little deal and spoke to the goup "That's impossible that transmission was shut off several years ago" at least that's what her commanding officer told her. Herwarning flag was immediately set up as she looked among the group. She flashes her badge saying "I'm going to have to search you guys to make sure you aren't carrying anything illegal" Whether or not they gave her permission she was allowed as police to search anything that may pose a danger to the safety of the town. She put her badge away and trusting the two girls behind her to watch her back she started to search the boat.

[redryder]

Victoria puther gun in it's holster and fastened it and came up to the group still very cautious. She picked up on this little deal and spoke to the goup "That's impossible that transmission was shut off several years ago" at least that's what her commanding officer told her. Herwarning flag was immediately set up as she looked among the group. She flashes her badge saying "I'm going to have to search you guys to make sure you aren't carrying anything illegal" Whether or not they gave her permission she was allowed as police to search anything that may pose a danger to the safety of the town. She put her badge away and trusting the two girls behind her to watch her back she started to search the boat.

Victoria stepped into the boat and dug around, looking for anything that might suggest where these girls had come from. The horse paced nervously on shore. Something about all of this made her oddly nervous.

The boat was empty. The two women had simply appeared, as if they were ghosts. There was no evidence of a journey, nothing, other than the two girls and their horse. And how had a rowboat accommodated an animal of that size?

Victoria had handed the women over to Kayla and Trish. The older girl kept wailing about her sister's health concerns. As a representative of the police department, Victoria was in charge until someone who outranked her showed up. What would her call be?

[Balen]

In an isolated shack, surrounded by a dead wood, lived John Beckett. The hunter had been staring at the roaring fire when the alarms sounded, even on the outskirts of town the faint warning breaking the usually natural silence had been deafening. Most of the birds and animals avoided the immediately surrounding wood. John preferred it that way, alone and undisturbed.

The town’s recluse had a well set build, a thin layer of stubble and a faint scar down his right cheek. Amber eyes were alert at all times, and shoulder length brown hair rested upon a thick green jacket and belted tanned jeans. Underneath a grey t-shirt, was a silver locket, possible the most valued possession he had, and so it was never far from his chest.

Grabbing the familiar hunting rifle, within seconds he was out the door. He lived apart from the town but he would protect it with his life, with no hesitation. The former park ranger made his way through the forest to the commotion he could hear forming at the river’s edge. John didn’t hunt past the river often, on the other side lay nothing but death and nature perverted. People thought he was crazy enough to even think about going past the town’s border, though it wasn’t danger that kept him settled here, it was knowing that this town and these good people wouldn’t be safe forever.

There were too many people ahead. The crowd was too big now. Why when the unseen came calling did people cluster around it? There was no great safety in numbers, to the hunter’s way of thinking there was safety in distance and keeping a clear head. Putting his knife between his teeth he began scaling the tallest tree, a safe distance from it, overlooking the back of the large gathering. Something didn’t smell right, he loved this town but they were too trusting of strangers, a trait that had lost him his wife and child not two years before.

John swung his legs over a large stem of the tree, bringing his rifle to rest on a branch and pointing it at the small boat. The cold air of the night settled the acute senses of the hunter. Nobody knew why he lived alone, and few knew that he once had a family; he liked to keep it that way because people had enough to worry about in their own lives.

[redryder]

In an isolated shack, surrounded by a dead wood, lived John Beckett. The hunter had been staring at the roaring fire when the alarms sounded, even on the outskirts of town the faint warning breaking the usually natural silence had been deafening. Most of the birds and animals avoided the immediately surrounding wood. John preferred it that way, alone and undisturbed.

The town’s recluse had a well set build, a thin layer of stubble and a faint scar down his right cheek. Amber eyes were alert at all times, and shoulder length brown hair rested upon a thick green jacket and belted tanned jeans. Underneath a grey t-shirt, was a silver locket, possible the most valued possession he had, and so it was never far from his chest.

Grabbing the familiar hunting rifle, within seconds he was out the door. He lived apart from the town but he would protect it with his life, with no hesitation. The former park ranger made his way through the forest to the commotion he could hear forming at the river’s edge. John didn’t hunt past the river often, on the other side lay nothing but death and nature perverted. People thought he was crazy enough to even think about going past the town’s border, though it wasn’t danger that kept him settled here, it was knowing that this town and these good people wouldn’t be safe forever.

There were too many people ahead. The crowd was too big now. Why when the unseen came calling did people cluster around it? There was no great safety in numbers, to the hunter’s way of thinking there was safety in distance and keeping a clear head. Putting his knife between his teeth he began scaling the tallest tree, a safe distance from it, overlooking the back of the large gathering. Something didn’t smell right, he loved this town but they were too trusting of strangers, a trait that had lost him his wife and child not two years before.

John swung his legs over a large stem of the tree, bringing his rifle to rest on a branch and pointing it at the small boat. The cold air of the night settled the acute senses of the hunter. Nobody knew why he lived alone, and few knew that he once had a family; he liked to keep it that way because people had enough to worry about in their own lives.

As John sat atop the tree, the small figure in the older girls arms looked up ... and straight at him. Even though he was some distance off, he had the disquieting sensation that she was looking directly AT him.

And then ... the small, still voice in his head. "Help me, John Beckett."

He nearly fell from the tree.

[redryder]

Trish worried she was losing control of the situation. The second Victoria's gun came out, some in the mob had immediately bristled. What if the little girl really WAS sick?

She was going to need to get Dale Josefson to examine the child. But how in the devil would she get that done before things escalated further?

[toysintheattic]

Kayla narrowed her eyes and tensed up instinctively, taking in the strange noises eminating from the oncoming boat and supressing a wave of uncertainty effortlessly. She surveyed the shapes in the boat intensely, running several possibilities through her mind, including fleeing for safety if necessary. Younger, hooded girl holding an obviously small child, and a flippin' horse. She observed quietly as Victoria sprang into action, ready for anything, apparently.

Kayla's nerves were most certainly a hard thing to shake, but a slight wave of fear was brought on from the flooding, seeming unaswerable, questions that seemed to fastball straight to her attention. How did they reach here? Where did they come from? What did this mean? How did the child become sick, which was the issue the teenage girl so passionately pressed? How could they have heard the transmission sent from Hatchet Falls when it has been down for several years?

She sunk a little farther back, ignoring Trish's plea to speak to the distressed girl. Kayla was doing what she did best: retracting the emotion connected to a situation and approaching it logically. The girl was obviously not going to harm us, but that didn't mean Kayla wouldn't keep her senses about her. The child, however, obviously needed attention. Struggling to stand, her older sister supported her as they climbed out of the boat and Victoria hastily searched it. Kayla approached Trish and spoke quick and low.

"Does the child need water? We should at least do what we can until someone arrives to take proper care of her."

[Balen]

In her eyes, deeper, deeper, what was that, a voice? Shaking off the sensation and regaining his balance, his own eyes clearly showed a pensive look, as if he’d been struck by a rock head on. Clinging to a thick branch, he swung his legs back down, jumping and coming to rest back on the dirt floor. John was driven, it was hard to explain why he was now walking toward the child, only that he was compelled to, walking with a purpose greater than merely a need to check on her well being.

The younger ones plea resonated the thoughts of his own child’s terrible fate, and for a moment he ignored any risk posed to the town, led by his own motivations. It was an instinctive drive that fueled his steps. John walked through the crowds, pushing his way close to the front, most actually stepped aside when they saw the rifle in his hands, and even more so his determination to get there. Some whispers were apparent, as the lone wanderer often inspired rumor in the townsfolk. A few stared at his approach silently distracted from the boats arrival, to see him in a crowd was almost as rare as to see strangers arriving from over the river.

Eventually getting to the front of the gathering mass, the hunter reached to his belt and handed a water flask to Kayla without a word. "Give her this, it is from a pure, untainted spring."

He didn’t immediately look to the child, his eyes were fixed on the older, hooded girl. “All is not as it seems.” He said bluntly to the officer in charge, then turning the crowds around him he spoke again, “the child needs to be protected.” He didn’t know why, it was instinctual, the resounding call from her had put his natural senses on a high alert. John also didn’t know if they would listen, but even if they would not, he would watch and wait nearby, she would come to no harm.

"You should ask the crowds to step back," he said while scanning the horizon with his amber eyes intently. The uneasy sensation the hunter had might come far or right in front of them, but he had the feeling it was getting closer with every breath. The grip on his rifle tightened in his hands.

[redryder]

The little girl looked up at Kayla, then John in order, thankfulness in her eyes. She greedily slurped down the spring water, a look of peace descending over her eyes. John's intervention surprised the people. They knew OF him, but they rarely saw him, so to have him here and grabbing authority so readily rather threw everyone off their games. By the time the sheriff and deputy mayor showed up, plans had already been made to store the teenaged girl in the local school overnight with a watch, just to be sure, and bring the younger girl to the doctor, that he might better see what he could.

The horse stood impatiently off to the side. When John Beckett walked back to his cabin, slowly, thinking he might check on the girl again in the morning, the horse followed him -- at a careful distance but still a deliberate one.

+++++

Trish couldn't put her finger on it, but something didn't add up. Safely ensconced again in her home with her husband, warming some well water in the fireplace for a cup of coffee, she felt her brow knit itself into one of worry. Then again, she felt that way ever since the birth of her child. She hadn't intended to be an over-concerned mother, but with the world the way it was, well ...

"I'll agree it IS odd," Shaun was saying, staring down at his hands. "But they're two young girls. How much harm could they do?"

"Our most valuable citizen was a teenager when she got portions of our electrical grid up and running again." She gave him a sardonic glance, responded with withering sarcasm. "How much harm could they do?"

"Jenni's ... special. These just seem like two girls. With a horse more like a Saint Bernard than anything else."

Trish smiled. A part of her wondered if her daughter would ever see a Saint Bernard. Probably not.

"Anyway," Shaun continued, "there's a council meeting tomorrow to determine what to do. As a witness, you'll need to be there."

Trish grimaced. Great. Just what she needed. Stuffed shirts.

+++++

The council meeting convened early the next morning, as the frost was still fresh on the grass on the courthouse's lawn. A muted fog lay low on the ground, causing all sounds to feel curiously muffled.

The courthouse was one of the buildings that still had electric lights, something that struck many of the citizens as just asking for trouble. Yet there they were, buzzing along nicely, only flickering now and then, when the river's current slowed or something briefly snagged in the water wheel. But they'd always zap back on, sure as could be.

The mayor looked down from his dais, the council sitting on either side of them. Turning toward the witnesses - Trish, Kayla, Victoria, and John - he asked carefully what should be done with the two girls permanently ... and if anyone had any idea how they had come to have heard a transmission that hadn't been on for years.

[toysintheattic]

Trish just gaped at Kayla for a moment, looking surprised that she had even spoken, much less spoken about the well being of a strange child. In those brief moments, a man made his way expertly through the crowd. He looked sturdy, strong, confident, and coming with a prupose. He strode straight to the child and group surrounding her, holding out something for Kayla.

"Give her this, it is from a pure, untainted spring."

Kayla passed the water to the girl, offering neither thanks nor questions to the stranger, just a hard look of indifference. She didn't mind that someone had showed up that could somewhat take charge.  That way, Kayla had to hardly take any action at all. Plans were made and the two girls were taken to safety, the sick child taken to be cared for. Everyone in the crowd and in the town had questions, but no one was in a position to deliver any solid answers. No one made the mistake of asking Kayla to give any information. They would've been turned down promptly. Kayla was sure that the less talking the town did about this, the less chances of it getting out of hand.
Returning home, Kayla was surprised to find that she was breaking routine. Normally, she would return home, make a cup of black tea, and read her book in comforting solitude and pajamas. Instead, she stopped at her door, staring down the hallway and into the kitchen for some moments. Turning the night's events over in her head, she must've remained there for at least fifteen minutes, until something resembling an answer clicked in her head. She resolved to share her new found theory at the council that would no doubt be called in the morning. Settling the matter, Kayla began her routine without any disturbances. Tea, a book, and then sleep. Kayla was now thoroughly prepared for whatever the next day would bring.

Thursday Morning, The Council Meet. 0800 hours.

Sure enough, Kayla was called as a witness to the entire event, and there she was, with the others, council meet just beginning. The Mayor of hatchet Falls now turned his attention towards Kayla, John, Victoria, and trish, expecting theories, suggestions, and answers.
Reluctantly, Kayla stood first, offering the idea that formed in her head last night.
"Mayor, as for the girls' permanant residence or what we should do about them, I do not know at the moment, but as for an explanation for the transmission issue, I have an idea."
Kayla kept her eyes on the Mayor, speaking with care and precision.
"Radio waves never leave the earth, sir, and "bouncing" naturally occurs, where the signal dies out and shows up again often a long time of being dormant, and very fair from it's original area. Do you think this is a possibility?"

[redryder]

Trish just gaped at Kayla for a moment, looking surprised that she had even spoken, much less spoken about the well being of a strange child. In those brief moments, a man made his way expertly through the crowd. He looked sturdy, strong, confident, and coming with a prupose. He strode straight to the child and group surrounding her, holding out something for Kayla.

"Give her this, it is from a pure, untainted spring."

Kayla passed the water to the girl, offering neither thanks nor questions to the stranger, just a hard look of indifference. She didn't mind that someone had showed up that could somewhat take charge.  That way, Kayla had to hardly take any action at all. Plans were made and the two girls were taken to safety, the sick child taken to be cared for. Everyone in the crowd and in the town had questions, but no one was in a position to deliver any solid answers. No one made the mistake of asking Kayla to give any information. They would've been turned down promptly. Kayla was sure that the less talking the town did about this, the less chances of it getting out of hand.
Returning home, Kayla was surprised to find that she was breaking routine. Normally, she would return home, make a cup of black tea, and read her book in comforting solitude and pajamas. Instead, she stopped at her door, staring down the hallway and into the kitchen for some moments. Turning the night's events over in her head, she must've remained there for at least fifteen minutes, until something resembling an answer clicked in her head. She resolved to share her new found theory at the council that would no doubt be called in the morning. Settling the matter, Kayla began her routine without any disturbances. Tea, a book, and then sleep. Kayla was now thoroughly prepared for whatever the next day would bring.

Thursday Morning, The Council Meet. 0800 hours.

Sure enough, Kayla was called as a witness to the entire event, and there she was, with the others, council meet just beginning. The Mayor of hatchet Falls now turned his attention towards Kayla, John, Victoria, and trish, expecting theories, suggestions, and answers.
Reluctantly, Kayla stood first, offering the idea that formed in her head last night.
"Mayor, as for the girls' permanant residence or what we should do about them, I do not know at the moment, but as for an explanation for the transmission issue, I have an idea."
Kayla kept her eyes on the Mayor, speaking with care and precision.
"Radio waves never leave the earth, sir, and "bouncing" naturally occurs, where the signal dies out and shows up again often a long time of being dormant, and very fair from it's original area. Do you think this is a possibility?"

The tall man Kayla had passed the water to the night before looked at her with a nod, as if to say "Good work." She scowled outwardly at him. She hadn't intended to turn their small moment last night into a lasting friendship, she had just wanted to do the right thing.

On the bench, the deputy mayor was turning toward the town genius. Dirty blonde hair and cracked glasses, Jenni Sanford was considered one of the two or three things standing between the city and utter chaos, and she was always scratching out solutions in a small notebook. She looked up.

"Sorry, I missed that."

Kayla repeated her theory. Jenni screwed her face up tightly. "I suppose it's POSSIBLE. If the waves somehow got ... interrupted by intense gravity or bounced around the atmosphere long enough. But I don't know how LIKELY it is. I certainly don't know about it. And even if it WERE true, they'd have to be from the other side of the Earth, as the waves would have traveled a long ways."

She bent over her notebook again. "I'll need to run some calculations ..."

The teenaged girl looked at Kayla with extreme thankfulness. Kayla tried to turn away, but not quickly enough. This whole event was making her far more popular than she ever hoped to be.

As the council turned toward the others for more information, Kayla was surprised to find a small piece of paper pressed into her hands. When she unwrapped it, it read, "Did you hear the girl's voice, too?" Looking around, she saw only the hermit, who nodded toward her as if they shared a secret.

[toysintheattic]

Kayla caught the man's glance and quickly averted her eyes. Everything about that man was so intense, so strange and wild. Kayla remembered with a flash how he took command of the situation last night, people seeming to just heed to his word without doubt. Kayla glanced back at him with a scowl. She didn't like anyone that made her wonder. She certainly hoped that last night's exchange between them didn't give him the notion that Kayla was even approachable, much less a friend of his.

The mayor, of course, was going to rely on Jenni Sanford's word to confirm the probability of Kayla's information. However, Jenni did not seem to be paying attention. Kayla groaned inwardly. She despised repeating herself. Kayla ran through her theory once more, then happened to shoot her eyes towards the teenage girl, who was gazing at her with burning gratitude. Kayla wasn't quick enough to escape the glance, and she suddenly felt naked and wrung out before The Council. After this, Kayla's name would be one whispered in many ears, her information scrutinized and her life scrutinized even closer. She had another moment of weakness, a moment of fleeting fear at the prospect of her routinely life being disturbed. She cursed herself and sat down slowly, barely hearing Jenni's replies.

As she sat down, she was shocked to notice that a small note had been pressed into her hand and she had clenched her fingers around it. She looked at the people around her and saw only the strange man, looking at her with obvious meaning. Kayla opened the note, and it simply read: "Did you hear the girl's voice, too?" Normally, without hesitation, Kayla would've grabbed a pen out of her purse and written something along the lines of "Sir, you need psychological help." However, she felt something stir in her mind. Kayla almost threw the small slip of paper, shrieking in frustration. She clenched her hand around the pen she had dug out. Why, in the course of 24 hours, has her mental health been flipped around, turned over, beaten senseless and left to bleed out? She was sick of these odd, out of place feelings that came attatched to this whole situation. Kayla fleetingly remembered her dreams from last night. Haunting, warning. Voices embedded with sorrow telling her to protect the child, telling her that there will be no more turning away.

Kayla pressed the pen to the thin paper, writing "No, I did not hear the child's voice. Last night's slumber harboured strange, daunting dreams. Voices told me to protect this child. Usually, I would promptly dismiss this with a logical explanation, but something is not right."

Kayla looked up, venturing to stand again. She had made up her mind about something. As she walked forward to address the mayor again, she slipped the note back to the man. Then, she steeled herself against the attention that would be drawn to her, and spoke again.

"Mayor, consider this theory: perhaps before the transmission was downed the girls heard it and decided to come here. Three years of journey is an incredulous thing, I agree, but there are many missing peices of information that are vital to this issue. If they have journeyed so long, did they start out with more people? How would they have survived? Where did they come from? We have so much to consider."

[Balen]

Having spent the night keeping watch of both the perimeter of the town, and the girl, he had allowed himself to sleep only when dawn had begun to rise. John did not like town meetings; he made no secret that he thought most of them reached no real decisions about anything. In truth the negativity stemmed from his dislike of large crowds, he didn’t mind being the center of attention, he just didn’t seek it out. Attention in this world got you killed and quickly so. This place had been spared till now, because it had natural cover and a distance from what was coming, the town didn’t draw attention to itself.

John kissed the silver locket around his neck, but deep down he knew no amount of distance could protect them in the end from the outside world. Entering the meeting he moved directly to Kayla, ignoring anything else but his goal. He didn’t draw attention to himself in his walk, because that was not his intent. Reaching her and passing her the note, he nodded firmly. The rifle was still over his shoulder, knife on his belt, and that same alert look he lived with was in his eyes, more focused than ever now.

Kayla’s words and tone didn’t faze him, when he was sure about something there was no other course of action. He waved off a second questioning soul behind him who had overhead them, as his eyes were now locked on the Mayor. The exchange between those gathered was mute to his concerns, given the dreams Kayla spoke of, only confirmed it to him. The hunter in him sensed, no smelt what was coming. John would do everything he could to save them all, but the girl, so much like his child, was first and foremost on his mind.

He didn’t address the mayor now, the mayor was one man and title meant little to him. Instead he strode up beside the mayor, giving him no time to object, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man as he spoke to the room.

“You all know me, and you know I have never approached you for anything. I do not enjoy drawing attention to myself and so I would not speak unless I was certain. Trouble is coming.” There were several murmurs from those gathered. “I don’t know what kind, but I know these girls need to be kept safe, I also know I can prepare this place for it. I know the land better than anyone and so if you are wise enough to encourage others to join me, more can be done, but if we wait it may become too late.”

His mind thought of traps, positioning more on watch, sending some parties forward of the border, there was a lot that could be done if the danger was external, however he was far from sure the danger lay outside the town. If all he did here was shake them up, and keep their eyes more open than usual, he might save a few lives at the very least, but the girl would not be harmed. He would leave the fine details to the others, he only cared about preparation for the inevitable. How he was so sure even he didn't know, it was something the girl had given him, making his eyes sharper, preparing him mentally for what had to be done.

[redryder]

Kayla caught the man's glance and quickly averted her eyes. Everything about that man was so intense, so strange and wild. Kayla remembered with a flash how he took command of the situation last night, people seeming to just heed to his word without doubt. Kayla glanced back at him with a scowl. She didn't like anyone that made her wonder. She certainly hoped that last night's exchange between them didn't give him the notion that Kayla was even approachable, much less a friend of his.

The mayor, of course, was going to rely on Jenni Sanford's word to confirm the probability of Kayla's information. However, Jenni did not seem to be paying attention. Kayla groaned inwardly. She despised repeating herself. Kayla ran through her theory once more, then happened to shoot her eyes towards the teenage girl, who was gazing at her with burning gratitude. Kayla wasn't quick enough to escape the glance, and she suddenly felt naked and wrung out before The Council. After this, Kayla's name would be one whispered in many ears, her information scrutinized and her life scrutinized even closer. She had another moment of weakness, a moment of fleeting fear at the prospect of her routinely life being disturbed. She cursed herself and sat down slowly, barely hearing Jenni's replies.

As she sat down, she was shocked to notice that a small note had been pressed into her hand and she had clenched her fingers around it. She looked at the people around her and saw only the strange man, looking at her with obvious meaning. Kayla opened the note, and it simply read: "Did you hear the girl's voice, too?" Normally, without hesitation, Kayla would've grabbed a pen out of her purse and written something along the lines of "Sir, you need psychological help." However, she felt something stir in her mind. Kayla almost threw the small slip of paper, shrieking in frustration. She clenched her hand around the pen she had dug out. Why, in the course of 24 hours, has her mental health been flipped around, turned over, beaten senseless and left to bleed out? She was sick of these odd, out of place feelings that came attatched to this whole situation. Kayla fleetingly remembered her dreams from last night. Haunting, warning. Voices embedded with sorrow telling her to protect the child, telling her that there will be no more turning away.

Kayla pressed the pen to the thin paper, writing "No, I did not hear the child's voice. Last night's slumber harboured strange, daunting dreams. Voices told me to protect this child. Usually, I would promptly dismiss this with a logical explanation, but something is not right."

Kayla looked up, venturing to stand again. She had made up her mind about something. As she walked forward to address the mayor again, she slipped the note back to the man. Then, she steeled herself against the attention that would be drawn to her, and spoke again.

"Mayor, consider this theory: perhaps before the transmission was downed the girls heard it and decided to come here. Three years of journey is an incredulous thing, I agree, but there are many missing peices of information that are vital to this issue. If they have journeyed so long, did they start out with more people? How would they have survived? Where did they come from? We have so much to consider."

Shaun looked over at the mayor after Kayla's speech. He could see the mayor was already growing weary of all of this. He was too old for this job, and Shaun needed to prop him up.

He looked directly at Kayla. He'd never much liked her -- he rarely had an eye for when he wasn't wanted, but Kayla made things CRYSTAL clear to him. "I suppose that could make sense," he said. "It seems improbable, but ... so much here does."

He smiled, trying to win her over. All she did was look away in disgust. God, that trick usually worked.

"I tell you what, Kayla. My wife is going to try to interview the older girl after this meeting. The younger is still in the hospital." -- Kayla was surprised at the way her heart pinged in sympathy at that. -- "You have some experience dealing with this age group, thanks to your time down at the school. Would you like to tag along? Maybe get to the bottom of this? Honestly, if we can't figure this out, I don't see any way to not throw them in the lock-up."

[redryder]

Having spent the night keeping watch of both the perimeter of the town, and the girl, he had allowed himself to sleep only when dawn had begun to rise. John did not like town meetings; he made no secret that he thought most of them reached no real decisions about anything. In truth the negativity stemmed from his dislike of large crowds, he didn’t mind being the center of attention, he just didn’t seek it out. Attention in this world got you killed and quickly so. This place had been spared till now, because it had natural cover and a distance from what was coming, the town didn’t draw attention to itself.

John kissed the silver locket around his neck, but deep down he knew no amount of distance could protect them in the end from the outside world. Entering the meeting he moved directly to Kayla, ignoring anything else but his goal. He didn’t draw attention to himself in his walk, because that was not his intent. Reaching her and passing her the note, he nodded firmly. The rifle was still over his shoulder, knife on his belt, and that same alert look he lived with was in his eyes, more focused than ever now.

Kayla’s words and tone didn’t faze him, when he was sure about something there was no other course of action. He waved off a second questioning soul behind him who had overhead them, as his eyes were now locked on the Mayor. The exchange between those gathered was mute to his concerns, given the dreams Kayla spoke of, only confirmed it to him. The hunter in him sensed, no smelt what was coming. John would do everything he could to save them all, but the girl, so much like his child, was first and foremost on his mind.

He didn’t address the mayor now, the mayor was one man and title meant little to him. Instead he strode up beside the mayor, giving him no time to object, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man as he spoke to the room.

“You all know me, and you know I have never approached you for anything. I do not enjoy drawing attention to myself and so I would not speak unless I was certain. Trouble is coming.” There were several murmurs from those gathered. “I don’t know what kind, but I know these girls need to be kept safe, I also know I can prepare this place for it. I know the land better than anyone and so if you are wise enough to encourage others to join me, more can be done, but if we wait it may become too late.”

His mind thought of traps, positioning more on watch, sending some parties forward of the border, there was a lot that could be done if the danger was external, however he was far from sure the danger lay outside the town. If all he did here was shake them up, and keep their eyes more open than usual, he might save a few lives at the very least, but the girl would not be harmed. He would leave the fine details to the others, he only cared about preparation for the inevitable. How he was so sure even he didn't know, it was something the girl had given him, making his eyes sharper, preparing him mentally for what had to be done.

The mayor withdrew from John, not liking to be told what to do. Shaun attempted to keep the situation from deteriorating, but the mayor soon retreated into his chambers, calling a de facto end to the meeting. Great. This was not going well.

John stepped back from the group, looking for something approaching an ally, someone he could use to further his cause. The teacher woman seemed oddly hostile, though he was quite certain she, too, had felt something last night.

And then ... the voice again ...

"Where am I?" the girl asked. "It's dark."

"You're merely sleeping," he found himself saying, his mental voice offering up a soothing tone he had not used since ... well, since the long-ago death of his own wee one.

"I need to wake up. Wake me up."

"You need your rest to mend properly."

"John Beckett. They're coming. For me."

But before she could clarify, her voice faded yet again.

[toysintheattic]

Kayla listened intently to the words the man spoke. She found it odd that she was wondering what his name was, where he had come from, and why it seemed to be only him and Kayla that the child effected so. Kayla ground her fingernails into her hands, cursing the sky above and the ground below. What in the hell did this mean? Why couldn't she calm her mind, rest easy, and be assured that everything would play out the way it should without effecting her much?

Shaun Poe spoke to Kayla, but she was too absorbed in her own anxiety to comprehend what he was saying at first. She barely noticed her face was twisted into an ugly grimace. She came to her senses for the last part.

"I tell you what, Kayla. My wife is going to try to interview the older girl after this meeting. The younger is still in the hospital."
Kayla's heart twinged painfully at this, and she was thrown once again into anxiety and confusion.

"You have some experience dealing with this age group, thanks to your time down at the school. Would you like to tag along? Maybe get to the bottom of this? Honestly, if we can't figure this out, I don't see any way to not throw them in the lock-up."

Kayla's nerves rang sharply at this last part. She quickly replied, speaking in a hurried tone that was very unlike her usual cold, calculated voice.

"I will gladly interview the older girl, Shaun. To be blunt, however, I care not for her fate. Throw her in lock-up if you will, but the small child will neither be harmed or moved until she has recovered from whatever it is that ails her. I agree with the man that just spoke, though I do not know him. The child is a vital part to this mystery, and we haven't even scratched the surface of the true meaning behind all of this. Things are changing, and rapidly. I am not standing here saying I will join forces with anyone, that is not in my nature. I am saying that we must not be fools!!! This event means more than anyone is admitting to themselves. We all fear our way of life changing, but it has already been altered! Things have been set into motion that we have no control over."

And with this, Kayla turned from Shaun and sat down, keeping her cold grey eyes fixed on the floor. A steely silence followed her words. Kayla didn't even know why she said the last few things...she had no idea what was happening any more than the others. It seemed that the words flew out of her, but she knew that she uttered no falsehoods. Things were changing.

[redryder]

Kayla listened intently to the words the man spoke. She found it odd that she was wondering what his name was, where he had come from, and why it seemed to be only him and Kayla that the child effected so. Kayla ground her fingernails into her hands, cursing the sky above and the ground below. What in the hell did this mean? Why couldn't she calm her mind, rest easy, and be assured that everything would play out the way it should without effecting her much?

Shaun Poe spoke to Kayla, but she was too absorbed in her own anxiety to comprehend what he was saying at first. She barely noticed her face was twisted into an ugly grimace. She came to her senses for the last part.

"I tell you what, Kayla. My wife is going to try to interview the older girl after this meeting. The younger is still in the hospital."
Kayla's heart twinged painfully at this, and she was thrown once again into anxiety and confusion.

"You have some experience dealing with this age group, thanks to your time down at the school. Would you like to tag along? Maybe get to the bottom of this? Honestly, if we can't figure this out, I don't see any way to not throw them in the lock-up."

Kayla's nerves rang sharply at this last part. She quickly replied, speaking in a hurried tone that was very unlike her usual cold, calculated voice.

"I will gladly interview the older girl, Shaun. To be blunt, however, I care not for her fate. Throw her in lock-up if you will, but the small child will neither be harmed or moved until she has recovered from whatever it is that ails her. I agree with the man that just spoke, though I do not know him. The child is a vital part to this mystery, and we haven't even scratched the surface of the true meaning behind all of this. Things are changing, and rapidly. I am not standing here saying I will join forces with anyone, that is not in my nature. I am saying that we must not be fools!!! This event means more than anyone is admitting to themselves. We all fear our way of life changing, but it has already been altered! Things have been set into motion that we have no control over."

And with this, Kayla turned from Shaun and sat down, keeping her cold grey eyes fixed on the floor. A steely silence followed her words. Kayla didn't even know why she said the last few things...she had no idea what was happening any more than the others. It seemed that the words flew out of her, but she knew that she uttered no falsehoods. Things were changing.

Shaun drew her aside, using all of his charm to just get her to budge from the seat, though she looked far from happy to be doing so. As he dragged her into the back hall of the building, he leaned in close.

"Listen. We need to know their story. The thing is, the younger one is sick, but we can't tell with what. And the older girl won't speak to anyone, has clammed right up. If we don't get her to talk, the younger one's going to die, I fear."

+++++

Which is how she found herself sitting opposite the teenaged girl near a jail cell. The girl brushed her long, greasy black hair from her eyes. It was evident this girl would have been quite a beauty in the time before. But now, here ... she was clearly someone who'd spent some significant amount of time worrying about her younger sister.

Trish started in. "We'd just like to know ..."

The girl stared right at Kayla. "Her. I'll talk to her. What does SHE want to know?"

Before Kayla could even begin to formulate a question, the girl spoke again. "Name's Abigail. I'll answer three questions, but only three. And I need to know them all upfront. Sorry. Been burned too much by fake kindnesses in the last few years."

The girl checked the clock on the wall. "You have 30 seconds."

[Balen]

Shaun thankfully seemed to be reacting to what was staring John in the face, being so clear to John as it had been branded into his consciousness by the girl, he was happy at least someone else was intent on discovering the truth. The mayor on the other hand was a complete waste of time, having wandered off at the first sign of danger. John sighed and shook his head lightly, he had not expected action from the old man, but some reaction would have been nice. The loner had a way of rubbing people up the wrong way when he tried to work with them, and this had been one more example of it.

“Lock up would be a good place for them either way. It is one of the strongest buildings in the town to protect them in, and if they are trouble, you will have them confined.” He said aside to Shaun.

The park ranger would have to rely on himself, his own gun and his naked eye. He could put a few traps on the paths into town, it might catch a traveler unawares but it was a risk worth taking today. Flare traps and snares would be most useful, so they could get some warning of anyone coming, and he knew how to discourage mere animals from setting them off. He doubted he would get any sleep these next few nights, and some stimulants from the pharmacy would be useful.

“I will see about doing what I can alone to prepare us. Though if you all wait too long to organize, there is only so much that can be done. At least declare a school holiday and keep the children from harm, if you can talk the mayor into it, perhaps stockpile some food for your families.” For a moment John was reluctant to pull away from Kayla and Shaun, they seemed at least actively trying to uncover the danger, knowingly or not.

He gave them one more concerned glance, and a nod of the head, “I will start at the north ridge and work my way to the river, all of the trails will be covered. If anywhere it is the river that will be hardest to protect against, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

***

After completing his preparations, tired and weary, John eventually found himself standing behind those gathered in the cell, listening intently. He had just wandered in, and was looking through the bars. The hunter really seemed like he could use a rest, with his clothes visibly dirtier than usual, but still he stood, firm and stoic. The pharmacy had stimulants in stock at least, he would take one after the interview, first he needed a clear head to hear the girls story, and the drugs had a tendency to disrupt your train of thought.

[toysintheattic]

The teenage girl's hardened eyes met Kayla's in a familiar way. She seemed haggard, hopeless, and untrusting. The girl shot Trish down, declaring that she would only speak to Kayla. For only a moment, this puzzled Kayla. She didn't look friendly, kind, or inviting, while Trish spoke in a soft and respectful tone, looking exactly the part of a kind and understanding woman. The girl spoke to Kayla, her unwavering gaze boring into Kayla's brain.

"Name's Abigail. I'll answer three questions, but only three. And I need to know them all upfront. Sorry. Been burned too much by fake kindnesses in the last few years."

Her eyes darted to the clock hanging on the wall.

"You have thirty seconds.."

Kayla had no problem with this. She held the girl with her eyes, quickly gathering exactly what she wanted to ask. Kayla seemed to feel another presence in the room, and she turned to find the hunter in the background, looking like  he could collapse from weariness any moment. Kayla caught eyes with him for only a moment, then quickly turned her attention back to the girl.

"What happened to your sister to make her as sick as she is? How did you get here, to Hatchet Falls? Is anything or anyone possibly following you?"

Before the girl could answer, Kayla went on. There was some things that absolutely had to be said.

"Girl, I do not speak for the rest of the townsfolk, but I want you to know that there are two people in this town that will protect your sister at all costs, even if it means their own blood is spilled. That is myself, and that man standing behind us. If you do not give all the information you can regarding your sister's condition and how she came to be like this, we may not be able to do anything for her medically. I do not know why, maybe you can tell me, but your sister must be kept safe."

[redryder]

The teenage girl's hardened eyes met Kayla's in a familiar way. She seemed haggard, hopeless, and untrusting. The girl shot Trish down, declaring that she would only speak to Kayla. For only a moment, this puzzled Kayla. She didn't look friendly, kind, or inviting, while Trish spoke in a soft and respectful tone, looking exactly the part of a kind and understanding woman. The girl spoke to Kayla, her unwavering gaze boring into Kayla's brain.

"Name's Abigail. I'll answer three questions, but only three. And I need to know them all upfront. Sorry. Been burned too much by fake kindnesses in the last few years."

Her eyes darted to the clock hanging on the wall.

"You have thirty seconds.."

Kayla had no problem with this. She held the girl with her eyes, quickly gathering exactly what she wanted to ask. Kayla seemed to feel another presence in the room, and she turned to find the hunter in the background, looking like  he could collapse from weariness any moment. Kayla caught eyes with him for only a moment, then quickly turned her attention back to the girl.

"What happened to your sister to make her as sick as she is? How did you get here, to Hatchet Falls? Is anything or anyone possibly following you?"

Before the girl could answer, Kayla went on. There was some things that absolutely had to be said.

"Girl, I do not speak for the rest of the townsfolk, but I want you to know that there are two people in this town that will protect your sister at all costs, even if it means their own blood is spilled. That is myself, and that man standing behind us. If you do not give all the information you can regarding your sister's condition and how she came to be like this, we may not be able to do anything for her medically. I do not know why, maybe you can tell me, but your sister must be kept safe."

Abigail blinked twice at Kayla's earnest declaration. Trish was equally surprised. Outside of her classroom, no one had heard the girl string together so much as a few sentences, her gruffness was usually so apparent. Still, her passion was evident to all on hand. After Abigail stammered a bit, she launched into a short speech of her own.

"As to the sickness, I do not know. When we came down out of the mountain wastes to the west, she suddenly fell violently ill and began ... seeing things. Specters. Shades of what was or what will be or ... I do not know. And they seemed to chase her into a state of unrest, driving her more and more as we got closer to here. Her last words to me were, 'I can see them, Abigail, I can see them.' That was five days ago.

"As for how we got here, all I know is she guided me. She heard the transmission, not I. How, I do not know. Our radio once worked, but it hadn't for years until she pulled in your signal. Where did we begin? It was once San Francisco, but it is no longer called that. It is empty now, except for the violent ones. We had hidden there for ... many years, but our time was running out. I do not remember as much of the journey as I should, as if I blacked some of it out. And it seemed as if it took us years, though when I was a little girl, I used to stare at the maps of this country in my classrooms, so I know it couldn't have taken more than a few weeks. The horse was very fast.

"I do not believe anyone to be following us. We saw a few other people 'out there,' but always at too far a distance, thank God. The other people still alive ... they're not who they were. They're hungry and desperate. I don't know how they haven't found you yet. But when they do ..."

Her voice trailed off, and she stared down at her dirty fingernails. Abruptly, she spoke again.

"She said the dark ones were following her. I do not know what this means. I did not see anything out of the ordinary, but she is often aware of things well before they happen. It's served us well, but it seems to be ... consuming her." With her brow knit with worry like this, Abigail looked double her young age. How long had she been her young sister's sole provider? And hadn't San Francisco been decimated in the beginning? It must have been awful.

"The point is, if what she says is right, you're not prepared. Not in the slightest. This town has good sentries, I can tell, and an advantageous location, but you seem to have little in the way of defensive weaponry. And what will be brought against you will be fire and metal and hot ash. Just like that which buried my home city." She blinked back tears, refusing to add "and my parents." "But my sister spoke to me of a secret place, a place where there are supplies and possibly housing, prepared by the government that was and just a couple of weeks' walk from here. A mountain, but not just any mountain. A mountain with four men carved into it. I do not know what this is. Perhaps you do. But inside that mountain may lay your salvation."

She flitted her eyes at all three in the room with her, first the skeptical-looking redhead, then the one who said little but always spoke wisely, and finally the mountain of a man standing in the back.

"When Katya gets better, we will take you there. Before the first snows."

The guard knocked at the door. "Time's up." The others started to go.

Abigail grabbed Kayla's hand roughly. "Listen," she all but growled, "it is vitally important that this. Town. Survives. You are all we've seen of what was, and you may be all that's left in the whole world. You must listen to me." There was something almost too desperate in the way she said it, and her eyes flashed with a bright, hot light. Kayla had seen students attempt to lie to her before, and she was excellent at capturing them in it. Something here, though, made her feel both uneasy and oddly excited. At least some part of her believed the tale, but at least some part of her was certain the girl was lying. She could tell, from glancing at the others, that John wholeheartedly believed, while Trish was much more skeptical. Perhaps more would be understood in their discussions.

She left the room with the other two and headed for her classroom. If she hurried, she might make the afternoon's classes. She would gather with the others tonight - though the social interaction irritated her - at the Blue Moon, the last bar in the world. There, plans would be hashed out.

[Balen]

Even he hadn’t realized how bad it was out there. There was no way to tell if the girl was too scared and exaggerating her own experiences, it didn't seem so from how strong and sure her voice was. In the occasional trips outside the town’s borders he had seen some gruesome sights, men acting as rabid things, to call them animals would be unfair to nature. It was very much believable to him, given what had befallen his own family.

“But we have water,” John nodded from behind the bars, “and plenty of it.” There is every chance water was a disadvantage for them, it would explain why they have not crossed the river directly, but he didn’t voice these thoughts till he could be sure.

He ran a finger down the scar on his cheek, remembering a certain old friend. He would need his hound, a well trained Husky. A dog that was as tall as his waist, he almost never brought it into others company, it was a wild one but obedient when given a strong hand. John had found it on one of his trips past the border, and it had some of that bestial edge the girl spoke of. Only time and care had nurtured it back to health.

Fortunately there been had no signals from his flare traps yet, that was one good sign, the snares and traps wouldn’t stop a large group but they would tell people where the trouble was. He was no military expert but where to choose the fight would be critical.

“Abigail your sister needs to think of herself for a time, of you. Not the others out there, tell her to conserve her thoughts, comfort her. Kayla is right, do not allow her to despair, I will not leave her behind no matter what is on the horizon. I promise I will be there for you both, whatever is to come.” He gave a sincerely look to the girl and a nod, checking the rifle once more, and turning to the door once more on the guards signal. This was why he was spared all those years ago, the question he had always asked himself, why he had made it and they had not, it would be answered in the coming nights.