#rvstarter

Today, my co-worker made a nice point.

After his long run, Eric decided to practice his throwing skills, not paying attention, he threw, almost nicking the innocent bystander in the nose. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

"You k-know-- It would probably be best f-for you to bandage that." Her voice was quiet as she perched herself upon an old table, rummaging through her bag of select supplies to reveal a roll of medical gauze. "I c-can help. Kind of."

There was one place that gave the female a rush of relief and a breath of reality and that place was the roof. Although she knew it was dangerous to expose herself in such a way, she figured nobody else would think or have the courage to hide beneath the stars. -- or so she thought. Her body rested against the chilled concrete that formed the roof of the mall. Her body was spread out as she connected the stars with her finger. She heard a bit of rustling and ruckus in the distance, but close enough that it took place on the roof. You've got to be kidding me, was the first statement that crossed her mind. She cocked her head to the side and made a face at the thought that somebody else had taken her only escape. She frustratedly  reached for her gun and held it in position. "Show yourself," she demanded in a raspy tone.

The dismal atmosphere of the mall seemed to mock Vienna, the girl’s attempts to make light of the situation for her own sake have only failed and it was if the universe retaliated with making matters worse for the souls that have found safety in what was once a vibrant and bustling area. Waking up to such a grueling environment was not something she bothered to complain about, though, she knew she was lucky enough to be alive in the first place. Besides, the nightmare itself was not something that could easily be escaped, her life drastically changed from what it once was and she longed for simpler times and yet here she was, sat in the corner of what was once a coffee shop. There was no longer the lingering aroma of coffee beans instead it was replaced by a stench that she had become immune to. With dirt smudged upon her face, she could not bear to stomach the world outside of the room -- she could not find the bravery to fight alongside everyone else. But for some strange reason today she decided to venture out into the mal, perhaps it was the hunger motivating her, having not eaten anything but scraps for almost two days. She stopped in her tracks, waiting for something, though she was uncertain as to what she was waiting for -- but fear boiled her blood as she heard familiar dragging footsteps approaching her, a drawling groan echoing in the vicinity. Her hand quickly found the metal of the gun that she carried with her at all times, bullets always loaded but safety never off due to her inexperience with the weapon. She held it out in front of her, limbs quaking as tears brimmed her eyes while the creature appeared around the corner. "Stay away!" she yelled, despite its inability to understand her. "I said stay away from me!"

"I'll just--," She paused, retracting her hand from the now dead walker, her hands already stained with the blood she had become so used to. "Yeah. I'll l-leave you there." Her tone was hushed, and she knelt down to retrieve what she could from the decaying corpses. It was never much, hell, some days all she would walk out with was more blood on her hands and a guilty conscience that could shake the best of people, but it was how survived. And right now, that's all she cared about.   

Ashlyn stepped out of the shadows holding her phone up in the air. She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration, "I can't believe I can't even contact my parents."

It was surreal. Pushing herself day after day had detrimental to her well-being, she of all people would know the effects of exhaustion, having treated so many cases of it already. She needed safety, or whatever this run down city could offer to the petite redhead, she would greedily take it. It was all but a memory to her nowadays, but once every so often, she would reminisce on the easier days of her existence. Who knew she could possibly miss working towards her PhD? Her trip down memory lane had been cut short, as she almost immediately went into panic mode upon hearing the sound of footsteps, only for it to be yet another stranger. Living, of course, but still an obvious threat.