carracosta | beez in the trap

beez in the trap

[time is ruthless when unchecked, gnawing at sore ankles and palms tough as leather, drawing blood that draws walkers in turn. Murasa stopped keeping track after the day she watched her group get torn apart amidst gunfire and screams. only day and night exist now, monday and tuesday and everything after that gone. all gone, just like the world and society and everything she misses and wishes she could forget about.

finding Madoka shocked her out of her numb stupor (and in a sense, brought her back from the dead). they're not alone anymore- alone, in this world of death even after death, but not on their own. they've had too many close calls but somehow, by some random miracle, they're alive and unharmed.

they can't stay in one place too long. the walkers might move slower than the living, but they still move nonetheless. they made it out of the city and out into the countryside where they're less likely to be ambushed by a mob around any corner. there's a farmhouse visible just about half a mile away. the barn beside it could provide extra cover until they rest and gather more supplies as well.

or it could hold a crowd of walkers inside.

Murasa glances at Madoka. they've been walking for hours in the blistering sun and their water supply is nearly depleted. talking would only dry their throats so they haven't exchanged any words for a while now.]

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[ the last she'd seen of her friends was Mami's neck being bitten clean through, Sayaka and Kyoko disappearing in the chaos that followed. the last she'd seen of her family were their backs being herded to a shelter as she was pulled away by Homura's hand. she didn't understand why until the next day, when it turned out one of the refugees had been infected. nobody in the shelter got out alive.

but then she'd lost Homura too. and she was sure she wouldn't have lasted long without her until she found Murasa.

of the two of them--or even out of all of the friends she'd had before they fell--she was certain she had to be the least capable. but somehow she'd survived, and she had to try her best too to keep them alive. maybe the least she could do was to try to keep morale up, even if that seemed impossible. she tries smiling weakly in response. ]

It's not that far away now.

Yeah.

[she runs a sweaty hand over her equally sweaty face, taking a deep breath. the last time they'd gotten a full night's sleep was... who even knows how long ago? they always have to take turns keeping watch. it's harder when there's only two of them, and doubly worse when they're just a couple of young girls not even close to adulthood. walkers are one thing, but they'd also be weak against a group of bandits and the like. nobody takes pity on kids anymore, Murasa thinks, when it's everyone for themselves.

her friends- dead now- were the ones who taught her to survive and use weapons. without Byakuren's intervention she would've been killed in her own house by her own turned father, too terrified to pull the trigger and protect herself.

her pack weighs heavy on her shoulders and back. she wants nothing more than to sit down and rest, but they can't, not until they reach the farmhouse. Murasa doesn't speak again until they're only a stone's throw away from the front porch.]

Get ready.

[she's already got her fingers wrapped around the handle of her gun. Murasa holds out an arm in front of Madoka as they approach, putting a finger to her lips and nodding towards the door. there could be walkers inside.]

Right. Um, I could probably try to go first or something...

[ trailing off uncertainly, even as her voice was low and cracked in a dry whisper already. she didn't actually know how good a walker's hearing was, but that was the thing--it was better to be cautious. maybe someone could find out through trial and error. or maybe someone would err fatally if they were careless about it.

offering to go first wasn't careless, it was prudent. she had her own handgun, yes, but she barely knew how to use it. out of the two of them, Murasa was probably better suited to survive without the other. one of them had to open the door first and take the risk, so it might as well be the more useless one.

self-sacrificing nature in action, or just survival at work. ]

No. [a harsh whisper. she motions for Madoka to stay put and cautiously makes her way to the door, pausing for a moment before reaching for her knife instead of the gun.

she used to be bold, careless even. careless was probably a better way to put it. careless before a mistake cost one of her friends her life, and Murasa learned to tread with caution. she motions with her hand again, palm out, telling Madoka to stay back.

knock. knock. knock. three raps of her knuckles on old wood.

the knocks are answered with a loud thud of something- or someone- throwing itself at the other side of the door, followed by a muffled snarl and dull nails scratching. Murasa exhales and grabs the doorknob, looking over her shoulder at Madoka.]

There could be more behind this one. Stay back, okay?

[ staring at Murasa in slight shock--or maybe very deliberate shock. there's careless and then there's this. honestly!! ]

You heard that sound! There are walkers in there. Going through the door would be too dangerous--maybe there's a window or another way. Or maybe we should even skip this building...

[ not... a very viable option, considering how deserted the country was out here and how low they were running on supplies. and if they did run out it'd be a slower death than being eaten alive or turned, but she had to think fast and she was running low on ideas, too. ]

There could be food in there. Weapons. Medical supplies.

[they're lacking in bandages, among other things. it's almost laughable how easier it is to find knives and ammunition lying around than it is to find a tourniquet.

Murasa doesn't wait any longer. she steps aside and the door is flung open, walker stumbling outside with a rattling groan- it used to be an old man, hollow eyes sunken and wispy beard speckled with blood, flesh dry and rotting- and Murasa launches herself at its back with practiced movements, arm swinging in a violent arch.

her knife firmly lodges itself in the back of the walker's skull before it can take another step towards Madoka. Murasa yanks it out, letting the corpse tumble to the ground with a thump.]

... If there's more they should be on their way out now. [she crouches to wipe off her blade on the corpse's dusty coat.]

[ she barely has the chance to try to argue more or try to pull Murasa back when she opens the door and cuts down the walker that had been waiting in slow ambush behind. if it counted as an ambush... they couldn't think or organize enough to do that.

it was one advantage the two of them had against the hoard, for all that mattered. and it mattered a lot, she thought as she watched Murasa pull her weapon free. Madoka hadn't even had time to raise her pistol.

she does so now, points it immediately towards the one other door that led further into the building, trying to listen for sounds over the pounding of blood in her ears. ]

We should use guns if there are more of them. This one was way too close--if it had a chance to bite you...

I'm fine. [she's still at that age where her ego is too large for her body. what are they, but just a couple of kids? no, Murasa had been through things that would've broken adults. she was made strong by everything that happened, but that thought process only made her cocky in a bitter, jaded way.

the walkers don't stand a chance. they're just... dead corpses, that happen to be mobile and savage.]

And no guns. Save your ammunition for emergencies. [Shou was terrible at fighting close range. she had used all her bullets until she was left screaming and frantically pulling the trigger of her empty gun over and over again at the advancing walkers until-]

C'mon. Stay behind me, alright?

[she glances back at Madoka as she heads inside, knife held in front of her.]

Every day is an emergency now! The least I could do is cover you. I really... I really want to be useful too.

[ and she almost regrets saying that out loud, an insecurity she'd left unspoken for far too long. everyone had always tried to protect her. her family, trying to secure a safe shelter and failing. her friends... Mami had been so much better with a gun than Madoka was, but she'd been the first to die.

ammo might be scarce but their lives are even more so, and there would be no recovering that once it was lost. she doesn't lower her pistol as she follows Murasa into the darkness, blinking hard to adjust, wide-eyed to try to catch any sight of movement. ]

The noise could attract attention.

[they're in the middle of nowhere, but. that would just mean they'd have no place to hide if the farm were to be overrun by walkers. they wouldn't stand a chance against a whole swarm moving through, and trying to run away on foot would only delay their death sentence.]

You don't need to be useful. Just live. [a beam of light breaks through the darkness enclosed by boarded windows. Murasa aims her flashlight around, her steps cautious and deliberate.

stairs. there. moving towards them, looking back to make sure Madoka's close. she pauses at the foot of the stairs, listening. listen, she cups a hand to her ear and looks up. unsteady footsteps thump above them. one? two? it only sounds like one- but there could be a second that isn't moving.]

I'd like to stay alive. But I'd like you to more.

[ the sound of footsteps makes her freeze in her own tracks, but she tries to fight instinctive flight over fight response. this building was important--the first they'd seen in days. it would save them or be their grave if it didn't have supplies to tide them over.

still... she reaches jerkily out to take Murasa's hand before she could charge in again like she had when entering. she'd been lucky so far. they both had, but she wouldn't count on their luck not to run out. ]

Wait--we should at least stop and think of a plan before going up.

Edited 2014-02-19 03:43 (UTC)

[she hesitates, about to pull her hand away, but apparently decides against it and allows Madoka to hold onto her. they both need to live, none of that self-sacrificing crap she'd seen so many others pull. dying for the sake of someone else? that's bullshit, especially if the survivor's just gonna be all alone if they make it out alive.

Byakuren had died to make sure Murasa escaped the carnage that swallowed their group. bullshit.]

We'll both go up together. Quietly. [the footsteps continue thumping above them.] If there's one we can both take care of it. If there's two... run down the stairs as fast as you can. They'll fall- we can stab them when they're on the ground.

[ it seemed like such a short time ago that she'd flinch at the idea of stabbing anything. anything living. maybe the closest she'd get would be stabbing a daifuku with a toothpick or anything. now, though...

she glances down at her hip and the knife she had tucked into her waist. and she hadn't actually been in close combat with a zombie before--just too many near misses. they couldn't afford misses now, so she just takes in a deep breath and nods. ]

That works. Let's do that... just don't be reckless.

[they've gotta be quiet. she nods and leads Madoka up the stairs, flinching each time her foot touches floor, afraid any creak of wood would give them away. it's not long until they're on the second level of the house, though, an end table lying on its side near one of the closed doors and a few articles of clothing strewn around as if the occupants of the house had fled while hastily trying to zip up suitcases.

the thumping's coming from one of the bedrooms, a sign that reads "TOM" scrawled in childish handwriting hung up on the door. Murasa shines her flashlight down the hallway, motioning for Madoka to follow.

... it could be any sort of walker in there. it shouldn't even matter, but she prays it isn't a child. like them.]

[ the thought hadn't even occurred to her--she'd seen silhouettes of smaller shadows hanging behind larger ones in the city, remembered actively trying not to think further on the topic. there wasn't time to think about it. not when a wrong move could result in her becoming one of the smaller walkers herself.

she follows Murasa as quietly as she could, on boots well-scuffed from travel. and she was so tired from running, but they couldn't rest just yet. nervousness makes up for it, gives her rush and hair-trigger reflexes as she presses to the wall, trying to listen for further movement in Tom's room, whoever he might be. or had been. ]

[knife is out, hand on the doorknob- but she jerks her head towards Madoka, mouthing the word stay at her.

Murasa doesn't knock this time, nor does she hastily fling the door open. she slowly turns the knob, listening carefully, the walker inside still lurching back and forth. it hasn't heard them yet. that's good.

it's facing the window when Murasa slips inside, jacket torn and dotted with dried blood. she lunges for it before it can even turn, plunging her knife into the back of its head and falling upon it, the entire exchange eerily silent for something so violent. Murasa yanks the blade out and wipes it on the walker's jacket, getting a better look at it- him.

a young adult? or an older teenager. tch, whatever. she stands up, only then realizing that she'd neglected to make sure Madoka didn't trail after her when she attacked the walker.]

... We'll still have to sweep through the whole house.

[ she really shouldn't be bothered by these kinds of attacks anymore. not after everything that had happened. in another world, she'd be proud of fighting blatantly inhuman monsters and protecting people. in this one, fighting once-human monsters to protect herself and those she cared for was still...

there wasn't time to think about it. she steps into the room cautiously, eyes and aim fixed on the body, just in case the blow hadn't been fatal. fatal enough for the undead. they would only have to be caught by surprise once. ]

Let's see if we can hear any other footsteps, if there's anyone else around.

... And get off of him for now.

[ her hands around the pistol didn't waver--it'd only take one movement from the body. ]

[fighting the walkers was hard at first when she was still clinging to the hope that they could be cured, somehow, even when their skin was rotting and falling off their bones.

there's no cure. they're not people anymore. Murasa delivers a vicious stamp to the walker's head, sloppy brains spurting from cracks in its skull. there, now it definitely won't be moving anymore.]

Yeah.

[she rubs her boot on the carpet, smearing blood.]

Ready to check out the rest of the house?

[ ... yes that's one way to make sure it wouldn't be getting up. she can't help but try to nudge the corpse's jacket up over his head to try to cover the wound. it'll be a mess and they'd probably have to live with it for however long this place was going to be a safehouse for. ]

I'm ready! Let's hope that was the last of them.

[ooookay off to sweep through the rest of the house!

it's too late and i dont feel like writing a descriptive tag so okay it's safe and there aren't any more walkers inside. yay!!!!

Murasa sheds her heavy pack on the kitchen counter (the kitchen has: a few non-perishable food cans left in the cupboards, no water, some cleaning products beneath the sink, the fridge containing a rancid stench from something that was meant to be tossed out a long, long time ago, utensils and a couple knives) , knife and gun still at her belt. she's tired. even more tired than i am rn ha ha!!]

We'll have to barricade any entrances and windows, take stock of our supplies, check the barn... [she trails off, slumping into a wooden chair.]

[ and then a walker crashes into the room like kool-aid man or a wrecking ball to tell you to get more sleep 18 hrs later or whatever.

... or not. but Madoka definitely would tell Murasa the same thing even as she searches the drawers for a can opener. true suffering was living through the apocalypse and trying to open nonperishable cans with a knife while trying not to cut themselves on the blade or jagged edges.

but she glances back over her shoulder, almost panicking at the sound before realizing it's Murasa hitting a chair, not the ground. still worrying though. ]

A-are you all right? I could do that while you rest. You look like you need it.

I'm fine. [she's not fine and I'm tired again why do I keep doing tags only when I'm half-asleep.

anyway!! it'd taken a toll on her both physically and mentally; she needs to sleep, but she can't, not when they hadn't checked the whole house and etcetera etcetera. it's just too much to deal with. whatever happened to her stress-free high school life? Murasa slowly exhales, rubbing her eyes.]

Don't search the house alone... could be things hiding in the corners and shadows.

[ she's not fine. neither of them were--nothing about the situation was fine and they knew it.

so she abandons the food hunt, even if she was starving. they were used to being malnourished now. some things were more important.

she tries to reach for Murasa's hands. ]

... We should take a rest. I think we both need it.

[she's too tired to object, allowing Madoka to take her hands- sweaty, grimy, blistered hands with dirt and blood beneath the nails.]

Upstairs, then. Let's take turns keeping watch from a window.

[ah, they'll also have to get rid of that walker corpse. it'll stink up the whole house.]

[ she had been afraid of that, yes. sleeping with a body in the room was... well, at least it was a dead body. undead body.

she'd take care of it. for now she stands, gently tries to coax Murasa up as well. ]

I'll take the first watch.

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