#calamitys.start

It was that time again, she shivered as she grabbed the essentials for going outside the mall. She was never excited or even the least bit thrilled to go outside, where anything could happen upon her. It was times like this that she really missed the farm, the resources that were readily available. There weren't just two cows, of which they needed for milk. she was also hoping that those cows would breed and hopefully she'd go on from there. She needed something sustainable. She wasn't a good fighter or a very good scavenger, but there was one thing she was good at, animals and hunting. She felt the shaking already, her nerves, ptsd everytime she had to go out. It reminded her of the running, the screams of her fellow survivors scream behind her and then the loud sounds afterwards as they faded the further, she got away.

it wasn't very often that nathan ventured away from the marina without an actual assignment as he didn't really have much reason to. but that morning the lingering smell of fish, the noise, the cold drizzle of rain, the people ... it had all become too much to handle. in need of some peace a quiet the raider grabbed the supply bag he always had ready and dashed out the door like a bat out of hell.

he didn't have a destination in mind, just a need to put some distance between himself and the the place he now called home. his feet did the walking while his mind checked out, focused on the date in the calendar ― his little sister would have turned nineteen today, had she survived. her death was all his fault ... stupid. stupid. stupid ...

nate only became aware of his surroundings when he tripped over a fallen branch and nearly came tumbling to the ground. ❛ oh, fucking ... fuck. ❜ the woods. he'd wandered maybe a bit too far. lucky it was still daytime so he could sort of scout the area for potential dangers and a place to rest.

by then the rain was also coming down rather heavily and it was making it hard to move forward. the muddy ground had turned slippery and it was very unstable. one wrong step and he'd be hobbling back to his boathouse, out of commission due to a sprained ankle. the closest thing available for shelter was an abandoned car. without giving it much of a second thought, nate beelined for the wreckage.

the sound of approaching footsteps became clearer and the splashing they made as they hit the ground was enough to snap nate out of his half sleep. at least it wasn't a walker, too fast. one hand dashed into the bag, fingers wrapping firmly around the hilt of a gun. ❛ find a different spot. this one's taken. ❜ there was no malice in his tone as he called out, just a slight exasperation that he had been found and might have to share his hideout.

location — aimlessly wandering outside of sea cliff marina.

As she ventured into the unfamiliar tree line, leaving the sea cliff marina behind her, her thoughts wandered back to him. Was she supposed to alert someone before stepping beyond the group's protective gates? Hell if she knew. Bitterness had weaved it's way into her veins and with every step she took, it only continued to build. Two months and she'd already found more comfort within a group than she'd had her entire life. Even if a strange feeling washed over her every single time she heard another spewing an unfamiliar name to the man they deemed their leader — the man she'd once known as well as he'd let her. The fall of everything they'd once known had a way of changing a person. She, too, had become a mere shadow of her former self. It was inevitable in a world where push came to shove and most everyone were only concerned of caring for themselves. Grounded branches crunched beneath her worn boots, her venture out aimless and a tad bit careless all the same. The faint smile of amusement that had pulled at one corner of her mouth quickly faded as the sound of another filled her head. Just as she had plenty of times before, Andy's slender fingers curled around the handle of her blade, grip tight in preparation. "I'm not looking for trouble," she called out, voice radiating strength and a lack of fear despite every pulse point in her body throbbing in anticipation. "Just trying to enjoy the fresh air." This time it was sarcasm dripping off her tongue.

It was already a long day, much more physical than she had originally thought. At first, she was jealous, mental illness blocking her sense from seeing what was right in front of her, then became frozen with fear once she realized someone eating a women’s stomach. Her weak mind translated into her short lasting endurance in keeping up with Finn and his ability in killing walker after walker. By the time the last board was up and the outside world sealed off, Cleo could feel the ache down to her bones. The sun crept to the horizon when she found Finn, practically dragging him to follow along, and headed towards their apartment. She was so ready to sleep in her bed, for her head to hit the pillow and let her body rest from the constant stress. Each crippling step closer meant she could see her cat mighty, though he was always doing his own thing when she wasn’t around. So, when she swung the front door, Mighty came running out as she stepped to the side to observe his behavior, a bizarre reaction eliciting bad premonition. A blur streak flung past her and growled gravely.