a starter for @alwaysbecontaminated
The street was grimy and covered in ash. He left a trail of footsteps behind him. The silence was deafening as he rounded each corner carefully, making sure he wasnโt walking into anyone or anything. Every few minutes he would look over his shoulder and confirm his continued isolation. Gabrielโs legs ached. With every step, a ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฅ๐ญ of pain ran through to his hips. He had to keep going though. Ever since he had started this solo journey outside his home, the fire inside him started. The only thing that kept him going was finding his father.
ย He had been walking all day, the sun had faded behind the horizon, and darkness had set in. Gabe decided to stop somewhere for the night. He decided to make his temporary home among a row of shops. Most of them had the security gates still intact. He slipped into the one that had the least windows and slowly shut the security gate behind him. He didnโt bother to lock it though, โ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐โ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก.ย
ย He surveyed the room, it was a small drug store that had been completely ransacked. The pharmacy counter nestled in the back corner was smeared with dry blood. He walked through each aisle, his quiver pulled, arrow ready. Once he was sure the place was clear, he set his backpack down and loaded it up with whatever was left intact. A bag of chips, a snack cake, some bottles of aspirin. He slid over the counter to the other side. Whoever had raided this had taken all of the stronger pain medication, and left the empty bottles scattered with the trash โ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โฆโ Gabe whispered to himself, head shaking ย โ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐ ๐
๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ he scanned each label quickly, grabbing what he thought might be useful. There was blood pressure medicine, diabetes medicine. He left the insulin where it was, it hadnโt been refrigerated so it had probably gone bad โ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โย
He put his bag on the floor, and tried to push it to some level of comfort. He lied down and closed his eyes. Sleep didnโt come easy, it never came easily. Even when he did manage to sleep, it was always light. He was always listening, ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ค๐๐. This night however not only did he fall asleep, he even had a ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ. It was short, but he cherished it. It was a memory of his trip to Thailand, a beautiful elephant stomping across his path. When he woke up he couldnโt shake it off. The feeling of โฆ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐.
The sun had barely managed to peek out through the clouds, he couldnโt tell what time it was. He gathered his things and shoved some loose pieces of gum into his mouth as a makeshift toothbrush. Today was the day he would make it to the hospital stronghold in Atlanta. It was the only building still left in the city. ๐๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ง๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ. Gabe lifted the gate slowly, making sure the coast was clear. The signs along the road told him the hospital was only 10 miles away. He was sure he could make it in good time.ย
He stretched, his arms above his head and yawned. That was the best nightโs sleep he had had in awhile. He walked, and walked for what felt like an eternity before stopping for lunch. He had a healthy balanced meal of dehydrated mashed potatoes and tuna from a pouch. Better than nothing. After eating every crumb, and licking the bag clean, he started his trek again. ย Every few feet he would silently sneak by a zed, at one point there was a ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐. He cursed to himself, as he detoured through muck filled alleys.ย
ย He knew he was close, there were signs of life everywhere. Large ๐ฑโ๐ฌ spray painted on doors, windows ๐จ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐๐ in, but not only on the ground floor. There was a truck sitting across the middle of the road, a small car behind it, forming a makeshift barricade. He climbed over the car and caught the hospital in his line of vision. He started a sprint, not realizing how dangerous that could be. They fired a warning shot he narrowly missed โ๐โ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐.โ he shouted โ๐ผ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐! ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐!โ
most people seemed to lose track of the years, of how long itโs been since the world went to shit, but not five. five counted it down to the weeks, as though counting down the time left until he could be reunited with his family - even if heโs well aware that day wouldnโt be coming. likely ever. he found them the day he ran away, lifeless bodies covered in rubble with no explanation as to what exactly happened to them. academy destroyed, ruins pinning down their bodies, though ben and vanyaโs had been missing. it gave him a false sense of hope at the time, that perhaps they made it through, that he still had family out there, but after years of searching, he found himself giving up. the hope hurt more than the acceptance, than allowing himself to slowly drift off into madness reginald has always warned him of. heโs surprised it wasnโt just an excuse to prevent him from time traveling for once. never wouldโve guessed the man was capable of being truthful. at least he managed once before his death. good riddance, to be honest.ย
five has been staying in hospital building for about a week now, convinced dolores has come down with something that only garnishes peculiar looks from those who have found refuge within the confines of the building. some doctors who had made a career here before the world ended and some psychiatrists who insisted they let five live his fantasy of beingย โmarriedโ to a mannequin. fantasies are all some people have anymore, delusions of their currently cursed reality. the only way theyโre capable of coping. he's just a child, let him have this, he had overheard at some point, shrugged it off easily enough. their opinions donโt concern him, much rather focus on dolores and some attempt to fix the mistakes the world had made. to fix the time line. the resources he requires are scarce, but that doesnโt stop his searches. or his desire to protect those that gave him shelter for the time being. so when intruder crosses into their territory, he doesnโt hesitate to give off a warning shot, purposely missing, yet aiming close enough to startle the man. warn him not to come any closer. lowering the rifle, five teleports before the stranger with an arched eyebrow. cautious.ย
โzombies arenโt as dangerous, either,โ he insists coldly, gun resting at his side, but finger on the trigger all the same lest any sudden moves are made.ย โare you armed?โ he asks casually, eyes glancing from the manโs features to his hands. canโt be too careful. unlike zombies, the living are unpredictable, intentions not always clear. and he doesnโt dare chance what little he has to a newcomer.ย โtry anything and i wonโt hesitate to blow your head off,โ he warns.