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zrtranscripts · 4 years ago

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Radio Abel, Season Eight

Part 5 of 5

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I don't know if it's just because New Canton's at the center of the government in the UK -

ZOE CRICK: I'm still getting used to that.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: - but now that I think about it, people do seem to be putting more effort into the way they dress these days.

ZOE CRICK: I've noticed that. For a while, I thought it was because people wanted to spruce themselves up for the royal visits, but King Jamie hasn't been visiting as much since Amelia left for... for whatever it is she's doing, and people are still looking rather flamboyant.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: One of the cooks makes his own hats out of food wrappers.

ZOE CRICK: Exactly. People are having fun, and they're less worried about looking cool than they were before the apocalypse.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I think those hats are cool!

ZOE CRICK: That's the point. Taste is much more subjective now. [laughs] We don't have TV or newspapers, and it still takes half an hour to send a picture over ROFFLEnet, so it's harder to follow trends. People are using their imaginations instead.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Speaking of imagination, here's a track by someone with lots of it.

ZOE CRICK: Maybe Z-Day’s made self-expression more important, not less. We can't control the V-types, and we might be confined to our settlements most of the time, but we can decide how we look, so people go to great lengths to execute their vision. It's like how women in pre-apocalyptic prisons used to improvise cosmetics out of Smarties and shoe polish.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: How do you know what women used to do in prison?

ZOE CRICK: Oh, I was talking to Maxine about it.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Dr. Maxine has been to prison?!

ZOE CRICK: No, she... [sighs] That's not the point. I'm saying that for a lot of people, clothes, hair, and makeup are important creative outlets now that we're restricted in other ways. They also help people feel normal, now that -

PHIL CHEESEMAN: - now that V-types are roaming across the UK.

ZOE CRICK: Exactly.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: [sighs] Here's a song to make us all feel a bit more normal.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Imagine if Vogue was still in print. Do you think they'd employ zombie models?

ZOE CRICK: Yeah, with headlines like, “Gray is the New Black.” [laughs] They might struggle to find advertisers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Okay, business side might be a bit tricky to sort out. What about the editorial?

ZOE CRICK: They'd have post-apocalyptic fashion tips.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “The Best Looks to Scavenge this Season.”

ZOE CRICK: “Make Your Own Makeup.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “10 Ways to Wear a Sports Bra.”

ZOE CRICK: Not sure about that one, Phil.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Okay, yeah, there’s probably just one way to wear a sports bra.

ZOE CRICK: As far as I know.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: The other ideas were good, though. Well, maybe we should think of other style tips for our listeners.

ZOE CRICK: Why not? [laughs] Here's a song to get our creative juices flowing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, Zoe and I tried to come up with fashion tips, but this isn't our area of expertise.

ZOE CRICK: Speak for yourself.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: All your ideas involve drawing cats on things.

ZOE CRICK: That's not true. I also suggested embroidering cats on things.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: My point, listeners, is that maybe Zoe and I could use your help. Send us your post-apocalyptic fashion tips.

ZOE CRICK: We'll be sharing them right after this.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Welcome back to Radio New Hope, where we're sharing tips on how to stay stylish in the zombie apocalypse.

ZOE CRICK: A lot of the suggestions we've had so far come from runners who need to be able to move quickly, evade zoms, and stay comfortable on long runs.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You might think, as I did only a few minutes ago, that running is not compatible with expressing yourself through fashion, but you'd be wrong.

ZOE CRICK: Indeed, there are lots of ways to have fun with your running gear that don't affect speed or safety. Even if you're out by yourself and no one else can see you, a little bit of flare can lift your mood and make you feel more like yourself.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Running On Sunshine suggests, “Novelty shoe laces are a fun way of adding color to your running outfit. You can often loot them from the children's section of sports or shoe shops, but they're also easy to make from a sturdy ribbon. Use a bit of tape or wax for the aglet.”

ZOE CRICK: Just be sure to tuck your new laces into your shoes the next time you visit the kitten pen.

ZOE CRICK: Today on Radio New Hope, we're taking suggestions on how to jazz up your running gear.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: This next step is one for more creative runners, and it comes from Art Rate.

ZOE CRICK: Art Rate?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah, like heart rate, because they're a runner, but also an artist.

ZOE CRICK: [sighs] I don't know if we should be reading out people's usernames. We're just encouraging bad puns.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: This episode is about self-expression, Zoe, whatever form it takes, even terrible puns.

ZOE CRICK: Hmm. What does Art Rate have to say for themselves?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Decorate your running outfit with permanent marker, embroidery, and whatever embellishments you can get your hands on. As long as your number is still clearly visible to your comms operator, there's no limit to what you can do. Wearing something that truly reflects your personality can give you motivation on the most difficult runs.”

ZOE CRICK: That's a nice idea. I'll forgive the pun.

ZOE CRICK: Progressive Runner writes, “Hi Phil, where did you get a Dream Theater T-shirt? I'm also a fan of prog metal and have been on several runs to find old gig venues to see if there are any T-shirts left. Unfortunately, all I've found are hordes of zombified metal heads. I used to love a good mosh pit before the apocalypse, but it's just not the same when everyone's trying to bite you.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, first off Progressive Runner, please stop putting your life at risk in pursuit of merch. It's not worth it, and that's not what the bands would have wanted.

ZOE CRICK: Especially since they no longer make money from T-shirt sales.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Exactly, which is why I don't mind letting you know that my T-shirt is a fake. Before the apocalypse, touring musicians relied on the merch stand to support themselves, but now that most of them are dead, it's no longer unethical to make knock-offs.

ZOE CRICK: Did you make your T-shirt, Phil?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: One of Amelia's stylists did. She's very handy with the fabric paints.

ZOE CRICK: Oh? What did you give her in exchange?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I had to promise to play this next song.

ZOE CRICK: What's our next fashion tip, Phil?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, it's more of a PSA. “Hi Phil and Zoe, I run Support Network, a sports bra exchange service. We travel between settlements to provide runners with the best fitting sports bras. Simply visit our message board on ROFFLEnet, tell us which sizes your settlement has and which they need. It might take us a while to get to you, but we have a huge selection of style and color in every size. For some reason, post-apocalyptic Britain has no shortage of sports bras.” That's a great initiative, don't you think, Zoe? [keyboard clicks] Zoe?

ZOE CRICK: Sorry. I was just posting a request to their message board. Fellow sports bra wearers of New Canton, I suggest you do the same.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And while you do that, here's a song about sharing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Our next post-apocalyptic style tip comes from In Stitches, who says, “Here are just a few reasons why knitting is one of the most valuable skills you can learn in the post apocalypse.”

ZOE CRICK: “One, you don't necessarily need to send runners off in search of equipment. Knitting needles can be whittled from sticks, and if your settlement has sheep, wool is a renewable resource.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Two, the act of knitting has many cognitive, therapeutic, and - if you join a knitting circle - social benefits.”

ZOE CRICK: “Three, designing knitting patterns can be a great creative outlet, and since they can be conveyed using just symbols, they can be quickly shared over ROFFLEnet.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Four, larger needles can double as anti-zom weapons, as long as you aim for the eyes and remember to clean the blood off them before you get back to your knitting. The last thing you want is to make an infectious jumper by mistake.”

ZOE CRICK: That's, uh, resourceful. We'll be back with more fashion right after this.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: If knitting's not your thing, our next correspondent has a great idea for making some stylish winter clothes. “Next time you're out on a supply run, make a detour to a toy shop and pick up some plushies. A little reverse taxidermy - "

ZOE CRICK: Oh no!

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Plushies aren't real animals, Zoe.

ZOE CRICK: I know, but I couldn't look one in the eye and take out its stuffing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh... our less sensitive listeners can use this method to generate bundles of fake fur, a versatile fabric that'll help you stay warm and, thanks to the pre-apocalyptic trend for cuddly unicorns, colorful.

ZOE CRICK: I think I'll stick with the knitting.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: If it makes you feel any better, no plushies were harmed in the making of this next song.

ZOE CRICK: Polished in the Apocalypse says that a manicure adds a splash of color to your running look without impeding your movement.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm surprised we didn't think of that one ourselves. One of Amelia's first acts as prime minister was to open a nail bar at New Canton.

ZOE CRICK: She was accused of extravagance at first, but it's actually become a community hub. People go there to relax and come away feeling a little more, well, polished.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I've only just noticed, Zoe, each one of your nails is a different color.

ZOE CRICK: I couldn't choose. Amelia reserves all the Chanel nail polish for herself, but there are still plenty of other varieties for the rest of us.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, the rest of us in New Canton, maybe. What about everyone else?

ZOE CRICK: Until Amelia makes nail bars mandatory for all settlements, why not grab a few bottles of nail polish the next time you're on a low stakes meds run to a chemist? Just be sure to apply it in a well-ventilated area.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: A word of caution now from Nine Fingers, who says, “Jewelry adds sparkle to any outfit and can be a great way of expressing your individuality, especially if you make your own. However, think twice before wearing it on a run. Necklaces are easy for zoms to grab, earrings can be torn out, and rings are a risk if you're using weapons. Trust me.”

ZOE CRICK: Oh dear.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, if you're fond of jewelry, maybe keep it for when you're safe in your settlement.

ZOE CRICK: That’s sound advice. Also - naming no names, Runner Thirty-Seven - don't scavenge jewelry off dead zombies, no matter how on fleek it is. You're asking to get infected. And on that note...

ZOE CRICK: It's not just jewelry that you can enjoy when you're not at risk of zombie attacks.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Loads of our listeners have written in to suggest items you can use if you'd like a more flamboyant settlement look.

ZOE CRICK: Silk flowers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Craft supplies.

ZOE CRICK: Stickers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Fridge magnets.

ZOE CRICK: Christmas decorations.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Basically, listeners, as long as you're not using something that might be better deployed for a more practical purpose, there's no limit to the fun you can have with your personal style.

ZOE CRICK: Speaking of fun, here's a song that always puts a smile on my face.

ZOE CRICK: Our last suggestion comes from Fairy Zom Mother, who writes, “No one has space for a large wardrobe anymore. That doesn't mean you can't wear something special if the occasion demands. It's nice to dress up once in a while, so why not implement a share and swap system at your settlement so people can borrow clothes, shoes, and accessories?”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Wonder how long it would take to get that set up in New Canton. I've actually got a special evening planned soon.

ZOE CRICK: Ooh, is it a date?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Maybe? I'll tell you all about it during this next song.

ZOE CRICK: Um, I think the orange ones might be a bit much.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, and we're live.

ZOE CRICK: Sorry about that, listeners. Recently we've learned that there's a way for everyone to express themselves through fashion, even in the post-apocalypse, but we'd like to add that not everyone has to.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's right. Some people don't even bother to brush the cat hair off their jumper before they come to work, and that's just fine.

ZOE CRICK: The cat hair is a deliberate part of my aesthetic, Phil. Our point is that everyone's priorities have changed. Most dress codes died with the apocalypse and few of us mourn them. You're no longer likely to be turned down for a job because you couldn't get your hands on an expensive suit for the interview. Nowadays, people are valued for doing what they do best.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And on that note, let Zoe and I do what we do best and play you a song.

ZOE CRICK: Until next time, listeners.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hello again, citizens.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, before you say anything else, there's something important we need to discuss.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Is this about getting a pet for the show again? Because I thought we settled that.

ZOE CRICK: We haven't, but no, this is about something very upsetting I found on ROFFLEnet today.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, the Radio New Hope fanfic? Hmm. There's one of you and me being turned into zoms on air that is both deeply disturbing and shockingly well-written.

ZOE CRICK: Again, no. What I found is a thread on ROFFLEnet called “Radio New Hope Has Changed” full of people - well, full of two people - who think we've lost our touch. Look, Just_Saying_108 says, “It breaks my heart. Zoe and Phil aren't what they used to be.” And then Radio_No_Hope says, “It all started when they got into bed with Amelia.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm assuming in my case they mean metaphorically.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, we need to take this seriously. If our listeners aren't happy, we're not happy.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: It's only two people, Zoe.

ZOE CRICK: That's two too many.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Actually, I've got an idea.

ZOE CRICK: Wonderful, I knew you'd think of something. Tell me right after this.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, some of you think we've changed, and while change can be good, we want to make sure we're still giving you the content you deserve.

ZOE CRICK: That sounds vaguely threatening.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's why we're going to crowdsource our content again. I have reopened our inbox for suggestions on what Radio New Hope should do next. We're open to anything. Except turning zom on air.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, nobody's going to ask for that.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You haven't seen the comments on that Radio New Hope fanfic. Anyway, listeners, please send in your thoughts. Who knows? Your idea might become our next segment.

ZOE CRICK: We did get some great suggestions last time. It'll be good to round up some new ones.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Exactly! Now everyone put your thinking caps on, and here's a song to get you in a creative mood.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: All right, listeners, it's time to open the suggestion box and find out what you'd like to hear on Radio New Hope... Huh.

ZOE CRICK: Is that it? I thought we'd get a few more suggestions.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, maybe it's a sign we're not so bad after all.

ZOE CRICK: No, we can't get complacent. Some listeners aren't happy with us.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Two listeners.

ZOE CRICK: It's just that with all that ROFFLEnet talk of us having changed, I thought we'd get a bit more feedback. Still, we'll go with what we've got.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We need to drumroll first.

ZOE CRICK: Seriously?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: There are few things in life that can’t be improved with a drumroll. Scientific fact.

ZOE CRICK: Fine. Drumroll, please.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: [mutters rapidly] Drumroll drumroll drumroll drum drum drum drum drum cymbal!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] Zom_Truther writes, “What if you ate some of that red fungus live on air? We know the prime minister is lying about the danger and hoarding it for herself.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, that's a bad idea. What did I say about us not turning zom on air?

ZOE CRICK: Yeah, Truther, we're not going to eat red fungus. Amelia isn't lying... about that, at least.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's right. And uh, please don't test your theory out for yourself.

ZOE CRICK: We'll be back with more of your hopefully less reckless suggestions after this song.

ZOE CRICK: Time for another look at our surprisingly meager suggestion box. Come on now, we know you have great ideas, so send them in. This one from Zombologist. “I love that doctor advice show - ”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: The Drs. Maxine and Paula one? Us, too. Listeners, if you're not tuning in to that show as well as ours, you're missing out.

ZOE CRICK: Definitely. Anyway, the letter says, “I love that doctor advice show, but they only focus on the bodies and minds of the living. What about the study of zombies? I think you should bring a zombie into the studio and do some tests. I have a few experiments in mind. See attached for details.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh... Oh, that's... Was that diagram the right way up? How would that even work?

ZOE CRICK: I'm not sure, but I think those are electrodes, or possibly poisonous snakes? Either way, Zombologist, we have a pretty strict no zoms in the studio policy.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What can we do? Hands tied.

ZOE CRICK: Much like the zom in that illustration, I think.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah, that's about as close as I want to come to that scenario. Let's clear it from our minds with this song.

ZOE CRICK: Well listeners, a few more suggestions trickled in during that last song.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We are seriously considering some of the less extreme ones, such as an interview with King Jamie or a Z-Day retrospective.

ZOE CRICK: This one is from Inquiring_Mindz - with a Z, naturally. “What about a show that gives a look at the human side of politics?”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So far, so good. At least there are no zombies involved.

ZOE CRICK: “I'd love for us to get a closer look at Prime Minister Spens’ flat. It must be lovely. She has marvelous taste, after all.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Let me see that. [paper rustles] “You could describe the art, the architecture, any documents that are lying around, the paint, the paint colors, any plans you might find in the drawers...”

ZOE CRICK: Come on now, Inquiring, you're asking us to spy on Amelia. Even if I did do that - which, of course, I wouldn't - there's no way I'd out myself by sharing it on air.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: How restrained of you.

ZOE CRICK: What can I say? I prefer not to incur the wrath of the most powerful woman in the country. Nice try, Inquiring, but we're broadcasters, not espionage agents. And that's all of them, right?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Right. Right, thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Uh, even the more... creative ones. Let's celebrate your ingenuity with this next number.

ZOE CRICK: You'll never guess what.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm sure I won't.

ZOE CRICK: You weren't a very funny child, were you? I went back on ROFFLEnet to see if that thread had more positive things to say about us now that we've been through the suggestion box. However, turns out I misinterpreted the whole thing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So people don't think Radio New Hope has changed for the worse?

ZOE CRICK: They do, but it's not the broadcasts they think have changed, it's us. They think we're doppelgängers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Like Zoe and Phil's evil twins?

ZOE CRICK: Exactly. It's not clear if they think we've been brainwashed into thinking we're real Zoe and Phil or if we're in on it, but Radio_No_Hope says, “There's no way Amelia would allow a free press unless she could control it, and that means controlling Phil and Zoe.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, they do have a point, but ci-ti-zens, do not fear, we have not been replaced by ourselves.

ZOE CRICK: How do you know?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What do you mean, how do I know? I know who I am.

ZOE CRICK: Or do you? What if you just think you do? Listeners, we'll get to the bottom of it right after this next song.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Let me get this straight. You think I could have been replaced by a double without you noticing? You noticed when I changed my hair parting last month.

ZOE CRICK: Now that I think about it, that could have been a sign you were Phil 2.0.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hmm. If that's the case, anything could be a sign. How do I know you're not Evil Zoe?

ZOE CRICK: My name's still spelled with a Z. Evil Zoe would definitely swap out the Z for an X... I think.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You're not sure?

ZOE CRICK: Radio No Hope said it. There could be brainwashing involved.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So let me get this straight. You think Amelia found doppelgängers of us?

ZOE CRICK: Or cloned us. Always a possibility.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Of course, and then she brainwashed said doppel-clones because - ?

ZOE CRICK: Because she wants to control the press. Although there might be an even more devious reason. We are talking about Amelia, after all. I'll think it over during this next song.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Have you figured out why Amelia might possibly want to replace us with brainwashed clones?

ZOE CRICK: No. I mean, yes, but one of the reasons only works if we meet the clones, and the other one requires mint and a trampoline. I wonder if the fact that I can't figure it out is a symptom of the brainwashing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's convenient.

ZOE CRICK: And I wonder when it began. Do you think it all started when Amelia gave us this hideous red furniture?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Green.

ZOE CRICK: What?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hideous green furniture.

ZOE CRICK: I don't know what you're talking about. The furniture is red. Maybe new Phil is colorblind?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You're kidding, right? It’s green.

ZOE CRICK: Am I kidding, or are you different now?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You know what? There's an easy way to settle this. I'm going to ask someone who has been in here what color the furniture is. Don't you move. Just, uh, play a song and I'll be right back.

[door opens]

ZOE CRICK: [giggles] Now that he's gone, listeners, between you and me, the couches are definitely green. I know that was a tiny bit rotten of me, but I couldn't resist. While we wait for Phil's triumphant return, here's a song that any version of me would love.

[door opens]

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh my God, you're right.

ZOE CRICK: Right about what?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: About the doppelgängers. Everyone confirmed it. The furniture in here's red, but I see green, so I must be colorblind now. Maybe all clones are.

ZOE CRICK: Wait, who did you ask?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, Nadia, Runner Thirty-Seven. They said it's red. Now that I'm a clone, I wonder if I still like the same foods. Remind me, how do I feel about jam?

ZOE CRICK: You're... you're joking, right? Because the couches are green. I was just pulling your leg.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Wait, so you see them as green, too? Maybe we're both clones.

ZOE CRICK: I guess. I -

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Or maybe we're from an alternate reality, one where people don't play pranks on their lovely radio cohosts because they might get paid back in spades!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] You - you almost had me going there! [sighs] Well, I guess I might have deserved it. A little.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: A little?

ZOE CRICK: Oh, no comment. All I can say is that I'm happy in this universe with the best cohost ever. This next song is for you, Phil, because you're one of a kind.

ZOE CRICK: That whole business with the doppelgängers has got me thinking, Phil.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Not again.

ZOE CRICK: No, not that we're clones or anything like that. I've been thinking about conspiracy theories. Do you think there are more of them now after Z-Day?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Probably. Look at all the things we've gone through. Uh, Sigrid, Moonchild, the Curly Wurly shortage. That's enough to make anyone a little paranoid.

ZOE CRICK: I don't know. I think maybe it's the opposite. All of the conspiracies since Z-Day were eventually exposed. Even if we were replaced by clones, someone would find out and tell people about it.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You have a point. Kind of reassuring in a way.

ZOE CRICK: I hope so. For the concerned ROFFLEnet folks, don't worry. If Phil and I are ever replaced by clones, you'll find out about it soon enough, probably from someone at Abel.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Very true. We're counting on you, Runner Five.

ZOE CRICK: And if the worst should occur, avenge us!

PHIL CHEESEMAN: But in the meantime, we hope all of you carry on enjoying Radio New Hope with the real Phil and Zoe. This one's for everyone who's dedicated to staying true to themselves.

#zombies run #zrs8 #s8 radio #s8 radio part 5 #zr transcript

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squidbatts · 5 years ago

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all that you have left to lose

Just on a medical note, folks, Peter does regrow his parts, so you Runners don’t need to return any bits you find lying around

Or: an incomplete list of things that runners have returned to Peter Lynne, local disaster

((keeping with my “at least one fic about peter a month” streak for 2020, have a silly little thing about peter being able to regenerate and runners returning his body parts to him anyway. spoilers to... lazarus (s5m30) i think? the fic exists Technically sometime in early s6 but it doesn’t include any of late s5/s6′s plot points so! you should be good. please enjoy!))

{ao3}

1. Ear (Right, torn)

Nadia drops the ear in front of Peter at the mess hall, which is less than ideal for a variety of reasons. A bit because it makes Peter want to eat his mystery soup a little less, but mostly because it causes Reggie from the kitchen to glare over at them.

"What did I say about dismembered limbs in my mess hall?"

"Not allowed unless they're going in your food," Peter dutifully recites. "Though, can I just say, that's majorly creepy. Am I supposed to take that as 'If Abel had a food shortage, you'd become our very own renewable meat source'? Because that's how I've taken it."

Reggie doesn't respond except to narrow their eyes further, which isn't exactly inspiring.

Peter turns back to Nadia. "Good afternoon, Nadia! To what do I owe the honor?"

"Someone gave this to Veronica but she said that it wasn't a 'good enough sample,'" Nadia says, with the look of an indulgent older sibling who's been given a mudpie. "I figured you might want it back."

Peter is never sure where he stands with Nadia; she didn't know him, before, and hasn't really shown any interest in getting to know him now, beyond awkward small talk when he goes to Veronica's labs. Still, as her hand's twitch against the wheels of her chair, he recognizes her bravado, as well as the devotion to someone who's just a bit crazy. He smiles at her, puts his spoon down, and picks up the ear. He doesn't want it, not really, but it was nice of her to bring it.

2. Finger (Left pinky, cut just above the palm)

Peter supposes that it’s his fault, walking up to another runner without loudly announcing his presence beforehand. Still, it's not like he knew Jody was sharpening her knife.

"Peter, oh my god, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Jody gasps, dropping out of her defensive stance as easily as she'd moved into it. Between them on the soft grass of the quad, Peter's finger lays forlornly.

"Since when do you use knives anyway?" Peter hisses, voice muffled by how he's shoved his hand into his mouth in a reflexive attempt to stop the pain. He knows that his body is working to fix it, that in a few hours he'll have a full hand again, but still.

"Tom gave it to me," Jody replies, more starry-eyed than the statement would've called for half a decade ago. Really, Peter should've expected the answer; De Lucas like it best when everyone is nice and well-armed.

"Why are you sharpening it, then? I'd say it's sharp enough already, obviously." Peter wiggles his pinky-less hand pointedly, though there's a significant part of him that's thankful that he only caught her after the knife was sharp enough to make a clean cut: a half-dull blade would've hurt more. Jody scowls, though her eyes still have an apologetic sheen to them.

"Well, what are you doing skulking around like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to join me on a book exchange run because I heard a rumor that Fort Canton had the fifth Percy Jackson book," Peter huffs, "But now I think I should just go alone."

"Oh, don't be like that," Jody says. She picks up Peter's still bleeding finger from the ground and tosses it to him as she bends to tie her sneakers tighter.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Peter asks, making a face. The wound on his hand has closed up, overactive cells already starting to grow him a new pinky, but he puts the old one up to the spot for a moment anyway, pulling it away like a macabre mimicry of a fake finger magic trick.

"I dunno, that's none of my business, is it?" Jody snarks, "Now, let's go, before someone else gets that novel."

3. Kidney (Look, it’s been a hard week)

"Damn it, Peter," Louise Bailey hisses, and something hits Peter's back, fast enough that he knows she threw it, "I slipped on your intestines!"

"Sorry! Next time someone's slicing through me with a machete, I'll be sure to keep all my organs inside so I don't hurt you," Peter snarks back as she catches up with him. She didn't actually slip on his intestines, Peter knows, because his intestines are definitely still inside of his body, despite the large torso-spanning slash that he's weakly pressing his hands against -- it used to be hard for him to tell what he'd lost or what hurts, but he's become something of an expert at it since he's rejoined Abel. He's still not sure if that's a good thing. Still, Louise probably did trip on something of his, since whatever she threw at his back was too fleshy and soft to be anything but organic, and he's certain that a few of his less than vital organs spilled out. "You know, this is why I hate missions where I have to deal with people."

"Because you lose your organs?" Louise asks, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, because I lose my organs! Zombies bite and scratch, but they don't throw knives or slice me up. I may be immortal but I can still feel pain," Peter says. Louise is quiet for a moment before she turns around. Peter slows down, nervously looking back towards her and, unfortunately, the direction that their pursuers are coming from. "Oi! What are you doing?"

Louise bends to pick something up and doubles back, cradling a fist-sized, burgundy thing in her hands. She tosses it and Peter catches it on reflex. "Here, it's yours anyway."

The kidney is a bit misshapen and smushed, probably from where Louise stepped on it, but it's still warm in his hands. Louise looks at him out the side of her eye like she's expecting him to just pull open his cut and pop it back in. He slides it into his backpack instead, already anticipating a lecture from Maxine about getting bio-goo on Township supplies. "Thanks, appreciate it."

4. Three toes, as well as one and a half loose phalanges (Big and index of right, big of left, god knows where those phalanges came from)

Paula frowns at Peter's feet. Peter frowns at the roof of the building that he still calls the Med Tent in his head.

"Well, doctor?" He asks, "What's the verdict?"

Paula moves her scrutiny to Peter's face. "I don't know how you managed to crush your feet like this-"

"I was carrying a supply crate and I tripped, alright, it's not like I did it on purpose," Peter defends. Paula continues as though he hadn't spoken.

"But, usually, I'd do an X-ray and maybe some surgery to re-set, then wrap the toes up for a few weeks. For you, I can tell that at least two of these have set wrong already, so I'll have to re-break them. Though I guess, I could always just amputate."

Peter considers this. "Which one will be faster?"

"The amputation, but you'd be off-balance while things grew back."

"I'd be off-balance with the wrap too," Peter waves her concern off like he's swatting a bug, "No, no, better the quick solution. Can I get anesthetic?"

"Can you get- Of course you can Peter, what kind of doctor do you think I am?" Paula shakes her head at him. "Sometimes, I wonder what's going on in that head of yours."

Peter grins at her, unrepentant and a little self-deprecating. "You and me both, Doc."

Later, after Peter's enjoyed some of the best pain-numbing that Abel can spare and has been given a blindfold because "If you don't stop looking down here and flinching, I'm going to have to cut even more and neither of us wants that," Paula hands Peter a biohazard bag.

Peter shakes it experimentally and scrunches his nose at the sound of flesh bouncing around inside. "Are these my toes?"

"Yes. Bring them over to Veronica for me, would you? She's been trying to convince Maxine that it would be ethical to cut off one of your limbs for nearly a month now, anyway, might as well give her some actually ethically-sourced Peter parts."

"What am I, a mailman?" Peter asks, peeking into the bag and wincing with phantom pain. Paula frowns at him.

"Do you need a blindfold to wear on the way over to Veronica's as well?"

"Why, Doctor Cohen, I didn't think you were into that sort of thing," Peter leers, breaking into laughter when Paula throws a roll of bandages at him. "Alright, alright, I'm going!"

"And be careful of that foot!"

5. A rather large bone (???)

"That is not mine."

Tom stares at Peter, unblinking. Peter likes Tom, he did even when Tom was more liability than friend, but god if he isn't creepy sometimes.

"Are you sure?" Tom asks, looking from the bone, a massive thing that's clearly longer than Peter's forearm, to Peter.

"I'm quite sure. I don't know who's out there missing a bone, but I like to think that I would've noticed losing a leg bone."

Tom hums, consideringly. He picks up the bone and swings it once, as though he's testing the heft and balance. Peter suddenly has a horrible vision of Tom, just as dangerous and De Luca-ish as he is right now, but also armed with a bone sword. He doesn't think that Janine would ever forgive him if he let that happen.

"Actually, you know what?" Peter says, reaching forward and taking the bone from Tom, "I think this might be mine. Thank you for returning it, I'll just, uh, add it to the collection, as it were."

"You collect your own bones?" Tom asks. Peter, who is already too far in, just smiles back at him.

"We all have our little hobbies," He offers. Tom raises his eyebrows but nods. Still, Peter makes a mental note to tell Jody to be on the lookout for any weird new quirks; Tom had seemed much too interested in the concept of a bone collection.

+ 1. Nothing

Five clears their throat as they enter Peter's curtained-off corner of the Med Tent. "Rare that you're trapped in here," They sign.

"Unfortunately, even I need some time and doctor assistance to fix spinal trauma," Peter says, putting down the knitting that Jody gave him; he appreciates the gesture but knitting when one of your hands is pins-and-needles numb and you can only use the other if you hold your arm in a very particular position while your nerves knit themselves back together is more effort than it's worth. "Nice of you to come visit, though."

Five makes a face, their classic I'm not sorry but manners tell me that I should be face, and signs, "Sam told me that I should come visit you. He says I shouldn't keep your things without asking."

"My things?" Peter asks, brow furrowed. "What do you have of mine? I didn't you'd be much for theft, Five. Well, theft among friends, that is."

"I'm not, it's just-" They cut themselves off and reach into their pocket with a heavy sigh. What they pull out is small, white, and clean. Peter's confused for a moment, wondering why in the world Sam thinks it's his, and then Five moves it in their hand and he gets a better idea of the shape and- huh.

"That's one of my vertebrae." He says, though it sounds more accusing than he'd wanted. Five scowls.

"I found it, fair and square. You just left it on the ground, obviously you didn't care about it."

"Five, my dearest, darling head of runners," Peter starts, desperately wishing that his hands were working enough that he could steeple them for emphasis. "I passed out from blood loss."

"That's not any of my business!" Five signs emphatically.

Sometimes, Peter forgets that Five is like this; sometimes, in his head, Five is a big soft puppy that loves sports bras and Sam. The real Five, unfortunately, is a gremlin who does things like drink shampoo to win a bet and picks up garbage off the ground during runs just because they can. "Whatever, it's fine. I don't want it anyway."

Five looks at him suspiciously but puts the bone away. "Are you sure?"

"Very. I've already regrown most of the damaged pathways, I'm sure the bones are nearly back as well."

"I wasn't really worried about you taking this one back," They say, finally coming closer to settle into the chair next to Peter's bed. "But it would've been okay if you did; I have three more."

"Three more?" Peter asks, "Are they all vertebrae or- Actually, nevermind, I don't want to know and I don't want them back."

"Good," Five grins, sharp as a wolf, "I wouldn't have given them to you anyway."

#zombies run #peter lynne #zr #zrs5 spoilers #one shot

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homeboundrunnerfive · 5 years ago

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Zombies Run Secret Santa 2019!

@notforconsumption HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM YOUR SECRET SANTA! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! I had this idea about a “5 times...” including Five, Sara and Sam at about 5000 words similar to what I did for Secret Santa last year. But this was too much fun to write, and I couldn’t bear to end it before I felt that it was properly finished, and this piece wanted to be more than 5000 words. So therefore, I make this pledge to you: have this smaller preview of my ZR/pokémon crossover as your present for this Christmas Eve, and send me a scenario that you would like to see added in the final version of this piece and your Secret Santa will make it so! And lastly: big thanks to both you and @runnerzero for organising this wonderful Secret Santa exchange!

Fandom: Zombies, Run! Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Runner Five/Sara Smith Characters: Sam Yao, Sara Smith, Runner Five, Simon Lauchlan, Janine DeLuca, Maxine Myers Additional Tags: Female Runner Five, Spoilers for Season 1, Mild Language, AU - Pokémon, Preview (or: remember that time probably at least a year ago when the fandom discussed the ZR/pokémon crossover?) Summary: Only by the very skin of her fucking teeth does Five make it in through the gates unscathed. Had guards on the wall not opened fire on the faster zoms directly behind her, she might not have made it inside at all. The second the gates close behind her, she actually lays down flat on her stomach to stop herself from vomiting. She has never run that fast before in her entire life, and her vision is flickering a little. The Cubone crawls out of her backpack as she pants heavily into the dirt, and jumps off of her to look around. After a few moments it gives her a sour look, seemingly deeming its new surroundings to be nothing all that special. ”If I had dropped you, this would have been a lot easier for me,” Five mutters to the Cubone. It returns her snarky remark by pulling out the bone and whacking her square in the head.

— S1M01 The transfer from Mullins Military Base to the smaller settlement of Abel Township is not starting out well. Five is a little disappointed in herself for actually being just the tiniest bit surprised by the fact that every single thing that could have gone wrong today has.

To be fair though, being shot down from the sky with a rocket launcher is a rather uncommon occurrence, so maybe she can’t take the blame for not predicting that one.

Which is a right shame, because what she can predict, Five will prepare for. For example, she knew that that arriving without a pokémon would elicit reactions and she had prepared herself for it. Pity and commiseration from some, assuming it was lost or killed in the chaos of Day Zero. Distain or suspicion from others, trying to rationalise how someone able to secure a spot at Mullins for themselves could be so negligent as to not provide for their pokémon.   Others are just confused at the sight of someone without a pokémon in these trying times. Who wouldn’t want an immune companion to not only protect you, but to also love you and keep your spirits high?

Five had prepared for that eventuality. She had not prepared for parachuting out of a helicopter, nor arriving to Abel in a mad dash chased by one of the faster zoms she’s encountered so far.

Inside the gates she’s greeted proper by three individuals, though a lot of people attempt to quickly wheedle information or supplies off of her the moment she stumbles through the gates

“Hey! Good to see you in the flesh… the totally-unbroken, skin-not-bitten-by-zombies flesh, right? Step back, step back everyone, don’t crowd! Give Runner Five some space!“ She recognises the voice as the man guiding her from the crash to the gates, radio operator Sam Yao. ”You alright there?”

He’s a younger Asian man in his mid-twenties or so, with dark hair and friendly eyes. The vibrant orange colour of his hoodie sticks out in a very striking manner, and a Flaaffy and Minccino is peeking out from behind him. Five feels like he fits the image of what she had imagined someone with his voice would look like. Rather soft, unpretentious and… boyish. The chinchilla-like pokemón looks rather downcast, sitting on top of the Flaaffys woolly head.

Next is an African-American woman in a white lab coat, immediately relieving Five of the CDC files and giving her a bite check before welcoming her to Abel Township. Five catches a glimpse of pale gemstones and notices that the woman, Dr. Myers as she introduces herself, has a rather small Sableye clinging to her hip underneath the lab coat. The pokémon is watching Five cautiously, showing the slightest hint of teeth.

Last is a serious-looking woman with a stern face, dressed in practical clothing. While the doctor is performing Five’s bite check, the woman is speaking quietly with another equally impressive woman, seemingly a bit older, who is accompanied by a weathered Lucario. The older woman is carrying a firearm, discreetly hidden by her loose shirt in a holster strapped to her belt. Five only notices because she has gotten into the habit of looking for threats, no matter the surroundings.

”Welcome to Abel Township. My name is Janine De Luca,” says the serious-looking woman. At her feet, an Umbreon is standing at attention like a guard dog, staring Five down. ”We have much to discuss.”

Five knows better than to hope for good things by now. But so far, so good, she thinks.

— S1M07

Only a few weeks into her transfer, disaster strikes.

Janine De Luca, one of the authorities of Abel Township, had sent her out on a mission to make contact with a member of a supposed rebel group within the neighbouring settlement of New Canton under the guise of picking up a cache of electrical supplies. Unsurprisingly to at least Five, who has learned to expect the worst of every situation given the state of the post-apocalyptic world, the rendezvous ends up with her having to flee for her life in the completely opposite direction of Abel Township while dodging automatic gunfire.

It takes a solid hour of running through extremely taxing natural terrain before Five feels confident that she is out of the woods, and by that point she is out of the scanner range Sam was talking about. Her headset took a hit when she smacked into a low-hanging branch in her hurry, and it seems to have been damaging enough to disable her transmitter. To further emphasise the vulnerability of her situation, the sun has now fully set beyond the western horizon and midnight is closing in. The moon working its way across the starry sky provides some light, but not enough by far.

��Runner Five… I don’t know if you can hear me. Our scanner’s down,” Sams voice starts again over the headset. He’s been checking in periodically, voice growing more and more despondent each time he goes without a response. Something bleats weakly in the background, and Five imagines Sam stroking the soft coat of his Flaaffy as he flips between monitors. ”It never works that well at night anyway, and a couple of bits of equipment have broken down, so… so there’s no way to see where you are. Truth is, I… I don’t even know if you’re alive. Odds aren’t good, right?”

He would have lost sight of her the moment she fled into the dense forest, Five thinks, so for all he knows she could have been shot dead the second she exited his camera coverage. The odds for her survival, as he said, were certainly not optimal.

Mustering what little strength she has left, she forces herself into a slow jog towards a more defensible position to take a much needed rest to catch her breath. On a hill, about half a kilometre away, under the roots of a large tree growing on the incline Five can see something similar to a makeshift burrow. It isn’t ideal, but the surrounding trees are much too bare for her to climb without some sort of equipment, so a dirty hole in the ground to keep her back free will have to do for now. After listening intently for a moment, she feels certain there are no zombies nearby. No groaning moans, no shuffling steps and no crinkling leaves.

”You’re not even my second Runner Five, you know that? You’re my fourth. I guess there’s no better reason you’d make it back than any of the others,” Sam sighs, and Five thinks that even if her transmitter wasn’t smashed, she wouldn’t respond to that. It’s true. She’s no more likely to survive the night that anyone else in her position.

Doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try.

Five pulls the axe from her back, keeping her pack on, before sitting down on the ground and leaning back against one of the thick roots. Her legs are almost numb, and her breaths are still coming out ragged. For the moment she feels very warm, but Five knows the sweat on her skin will soon cool and bring her body temperature down. She can’t allow herself to stay still for more than a few minutes, but that will be all she needs. In her head, she’s already mapping out the route back to Abel.

Something hard hesitantly pokes her lower thigh. Her muscles tense instantly and she chokes up the grip on her axe, bouncing into a defensive crouch.

In the dark, she can only make out two narrowed eyes staring suspiciously at her and a small silhouette sitting further inside the burrow. Whatever poked her has been retracted back into the shadows. Then, a white stick strikes out with lightning speed and hits against the metal head of her axe, sending the smallest of vibrations down into her hands.

The noise isn’t too bad, but it breaks the absolute silence of the woods in a way that puts Five on edge.

She backs up a few steps, standing up as she does, and slowly raises her axe into a batting position. The small figure, interestingly enough, mirrors her movements perfectly.

Chancing a quick look around, Five can’t see anything shambling towards her position, which is good. Whatever tiny little creature drove her out of the burrow seems almost as guarded as she is, holding their little stick poised for another strike. She takes a few moments to carefully study the shape. The very top of the creature would barely reach up to her knees. Humanoid in form, bipedal, gripping what looks like a small bat, and a rather lumpy head with small horns. Too small to be a zombie, and too clever to be an animal.

Five tries to cycle through her passable knowledge of different Pokémon species native to England, and she doesn’t have to think very long before the answer comes to her. She’s invaded the little underground home of a Cubone. From what she can remember, they aren’t very social and prefer to keep to themselves. What she thought was a stick poking her was most likely a bone, then.

”So… I’m just going to keep talking for a while. I mean, for all I know, I could be talking into the ear of a zombie. But, hey —” Sam starts again, and Five slowly reaches up to mute the signal for just a moment to keep her concentration on the situation at hand.

Sinking down to her knees, Five exaggeratedly places the axe down to rest on the leafy ground before raising both hands in a placating manner towards the Cubone. The universal sign for ’I don’t want any trouble.’ Not because she is in the slightest intimidated by this tiny thing, armed as she is, but because any loud noises will draw zombies in and force her to start running before she’s had a chance to catch her breath.

The pokémon doesn’t lower the bone its holding, but takes a few steps forward to the mouth of the burrow. In the moonlight, Five can spot a rather large gash on the left arm stretching all the way down to the hand. Not too deep a cut, but most likely infected by the look of it, and probably rather painful.

It tugs at her heartstrings. The only way for her to survive the night is to make it back home to Abel before they bar the gates, so there is really no reason to be stingy with her rations. Starvation or exposure is not what will kill her. Slowly, as to not startle the Cubone, she combs through her pack until she finds what she’s looking for. A protein bar, the first and only one she's gotten since she was made a runner and therefore prioritised concerning nutrition compared to other assignments in the township.

She unmutes her headset at the reminder of Abel.

Disinfectant or bandages would be better, but snacks is all that she has to offer. The process of opening the wrapper quietly is tedious, but after half a minute she has the bar uncovered in her hand. Most likely expired, since the chocolate coating is cracked and flaking away with every slight jostle, but a treasure all the same. Keeping her palm flat, she holds it out as far as she can from herself and waits for almost a full minute.

The Cubone only stares defiantly, staying firmly put.

”I called you my friend just before, didn’t I?” Sam says through some slight static, sounding a touch less relaxed than he normally does, seemingly about to go off on a more rambling kind of tangent. ”Is that cool with you? I mean… well, I’m definitely not your friend if you’ve gone gray. But I feel like we have a kind of… simpatico… something? Not that we’ve ever really talked. I guess we’re talking now. So… yeah, well, let’s just talk like normal people, like… buddies, or something,”

At least someone wants to be my friends, she thinks sullenly as the pokémon continues giving her the evil eye. Sighing, Five tosses the protein bar towards the Cubone, only slightly wincing at the fact that she threw actual good food on the forest floor before sitting back down. If the pokémon dislikes intruders this much, its behaviour should alert her to any incoming zombies. She figures she’ll be better off taking that little rest here than spending precious time finding another spot, even if she no longer has her back free.

It takes a few moments of apprehensive investigation, but eventually the Cubone starts nibbling on the protein bar while still keeping a watchful eye on her. She mostly ignores it and turns her back to keep lookout of her surroundings, fairly certain the pokémon won’t be bothering her further for the short time she intends to stay.

Unsurprisingly, the minutes pass by much too quickly, and her muscles still scream with complaints as she gets to her feet. The Cubone has finished its snack, and seems to have been emboldened by her tribute. Waddling forward, it sticks its hands down her backpack and starts searching for more treats.

”Get off,” Five mumbles and makes shooing motions. The Cubone pauses to nail her with the most unimpressed look she has ever seen a pokémon make, and continues rooting around. Five’s pretty certain the only thing she has left in there by now is her half-empty bottle of water, but it’s the principle of the thing. She was issued that equipment by Janine, and Five is still very determined to make a good impression on that woman.

She hadn’t tried hard enough back at Mullins. Five will not make the same mistake twice.

”That’s mine, and I’m going,” she says, more firm this time, and grabs the closest strap to pull the backpack away from the Cubone. Before she can even attempt to stop it, the pokémon has not only tugged the pack from her, it has decisively climbed into it and given her an indignant harrumph. It reminds her of a stubborn toddler, which is unfortunate. She doesn’t have very much experience dealing with those kinds of tantrums. Five resists rubbing her temples in frustration.

”It’s mine, and it’s coming with me. Get out.”

They lock eyes, and a silent battle of willpower ensues.

The absolute absurdity of the situation is that Five doesn’t actually have the upper hand here. She needs to get back to Abel before they bar the gates, and it’ll take her a good hour of running in the dark as it is.

Moments pass.

Nothing happens.

”Fine then.” With a forceful yank, she expeditiously tugs the pack onto her back, passenger and all, and secures the hip belt around her waist to balance her centre of gravity with the added weight. It’s not too heavy, but definitely enough to make a difference while running. The head is poking out of the top, giving her a fierce glare. ”You’ll come to see it my way.”

The next hour is a little strange, to say the least. Occasionally, the Cubone will grunt in annoyance and rap at her shoulders with its held bone, but it makes no attempt to get out of the backpack. She fortunately only has to reroute twice after spotting smaller packs of zoms in the distance, and during those tenser moments the pokémon is surprisingly quiet. Sam continues checking in, making either morbid or hilarious monologues in her headset. For some bizarre reason, it does keep her spirits up. If he’s still talking to her, it means the gates haven’t been barred yet. Even if his chosen topics for conversation are disheartening for the most part.

When she gets close enough to Abel to see the light on top the tower guiding her back home, she’s picked up quite a trail of zombies, despite her attempts to circumvent any encounters.

”— but I’ve gotta be honest… we’re losing hope here.” Five is now only registering bits and pieces of what Sam is talking about, mostly concerned about keeping a safe distance ahead of her groaning pursuers. ”A couple of zoms have arrived at the gates, and that usually means the bigger horde is on its way. Maybe only a few minutes ‘til we bar the gate.”

That, however, she does hear loud and clear.

It means she’s still got a chance. All she has to do to make it is run fast enough.

Only by the very skin of her fucking teeth does Five make it in through the gates unscathed. Had guards on the wall not opened fire on the faster zoms directly behind her, she might not have made it inside at all. The second the gates close behind her, she actually lays down flat on her stomach to stop herself from vomiting. She has never run that fast before in her entire life, and her vision is flickering a little.

The Cubone crawls out of her backpack as she pants heavily into the dirt, and jumps off of her to look around. After a few moments it gives her a sour look, seemingly deeming its new surroundings to be nothing all that special.

”If I had dropped you, this would have been a lot easier for me,” Five mutters to the Cubone. It returns her snarky remark by pulling out the bone and whacking her square in the head.

— S1M10

Five is having a tough time figuring the new Cubone out, and the pokémon seems to actively be trying to infuriate her.

While bringing it into the township had been no issue with Janine, the question of ownership and training was apparently of more import. No rogue inhabitants in her township, she had said. Five had not been particularly adamant about claiming the Cubone for herself, given the apparent distaste of her the pokémon seemed to harbour. It almost seemed like whenever an opportunity to obstruct her presented itself, the Cubone would take it and then give her a smug look afterwards. So it seemed the safer bet to place it in the communal building rather than with her.

But after a few days, it was perfectly clear the Cubone was not fine with living in the communal building, nor socialising with the other collectively owned pokémon. The sharp, angry cries throughout the nights attracted zombies to such a degree that they actually had to send runners on emergency missions for ammunition to keep up.

A few people did try to befriend the Cubone, but to no avail. All attempts were rebuffed, with varying degrees of violence and threatening behaviour. Simon suffered a rather unfortunate injury to his groin trying to charm the pokémon, both scaring and upsetting his own tenderhearted Sylveon. After that incident, there weren’t many volunteers.

So now the responsibility has once again circled around to Five.

Things are not going well. The only two things she has managed to understand is that the Cubone is a male, and that it seems to dislike everything and everyone. It seems content to follow her around at a distance, but makes a scene when she tries to get close. Strangely enough, it seems to have no problem climbing onto her back whenever the pokémon feels like it. Touching that is not initiated by the Cubone, though, is out of the question, prompting wild swings with the bone. Any conversation or commands are met with glowering or growling. In short, the Cubone is completely dominating her, her life and all their interactions at his own very unpredictable whims.

Many people offered her tips, all delivered in a rather delicate manner as to not imply any incompetence on her part which Five feels is more or less unnecessary at this point. Chris McShell had given her a long and detailed lecture on abstract pokémon psychology. Evan gave her different training exercises to establish respect and dominance, demonstrating them to her with his impressively obedient Growlithe Bonnie. Jody and Sam offered a plethora of bonding exercises, most of which just seemed to be different forms of cuddling. Five did not point out that neither of their pokémon come equipped with their very own weapons, and simply enjoyed watching Jody hugging her soft and sweet Audino.

In the end though, all suggestions proved to be equally useless.

Presently, Five is sitting on the ground with her back against the wall of the mess hall. Cubone is sitting a few meters away, and a silent battle of wills is raging.

They’ve been at it for days. The pokémon is as stubborn — possibly even more so — than Five.

”I don’t want to do this,” Five says, fingers playing with the laces of her trainers. ”I’m tired. If you don’t like me, leave. If you don’t like this place, leave.”

She’s ignored very pointedly by Cubone, who is drawing something in the dirt with its bone. From Five’s poor perspective on the ground it looks like nothing but squiggly lines.

”Things are a certain way in Abel. You’ll have to find a place. You can’t have things your way here.”

Narrowed eyes glare at her from beneath the large skull adorning its head, and if looks could kill, she’d be more dead than the corpses shambling outside the walls. At least she knows Cubone understands her, even if all that she receives in return for her words are defiance. The pokémon resolutely turns its back on her with a familiar harrumph, continuing to draw in the dirt.

”I would have thought you’d be better at this than you are. I’m surprised, Five. And that doesn’t happen too often, you know,” Sara grins, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. By her side her companion Lucario does the same, and the two of them just radiate an aura of smugness.

Five scrambles to her feet and locks her arms behind her back in a courteous manner, feeling incredibly stiff and awkward about the forced formality. It’s still a little early to act too casual with superiors in Five’s opinion, even though her military ID has been recovered and Sara herself has expressed in so many words how laughable this kind of ”boot-licking” behaviour looked on someone as physically imposing as Five. Yet, she snaps into place on instinct. Cubone flinches violently as she moves suddenly to break their staring match, and turns to glare suspiciously at the newcomers with narrowed eyes.

”I apologise,” replies Five, keeping her eyes on her trainers. ”I am having more difficulty that I would have thought.”

”The difference really is night and day, wouldn’t you agree, Donal? Like a roaring lion and a cowering house cat. It really is frustrating,” Sara says offhandedly to her companion, before pointedly leaning her head to catch Five’s gaze as she does so. ”We do things differently here, Five, and I don’t want to have to go through this little song and dance every time I see you inside the gates. This is not Mullins. Act like a normal human being. No one is going to have you shot in your sleep for mouthing off or slouching. So please, honey, at ease, now.”

Chancing a quick glance, Five catches Sara’s eyes. They are brown, filled with mirth and just deep enough to hide something seriously menacing behind those twinkles of amusement. There’s a layer of subtext that Five has become quite adept at understanding at this point, even though there are few women Five has met that are quite as contradictory as Sara Smith.

Two sides of the same coin show their faces whenever she speaks. The gentle but stern reminder that Five won’t be shot in her sleep for mouthing off also serves as a warning to remind her that other things might be enough to earn her a bullet in the back of the head. The complimentary comparison to the king of the jungle during missions is also a barbed statement about her positively spineless behaviour within the walls of Abel Township.

”I understand.”

Sara lets out a small chuckle. ”Slow learner, and stubborn to boot. That’s fine, Five. Not entirely unlike this Cubone here, judging by the way things are going,” she says, turning to her Lucario to share a look. ”Donal and I never had these problems, did we?”

It’s difficult to pinpoint why, but the comment strikes a raw nerve within Five. Perhaps its her lifelong habit of people-pleasing that takes offence at her obvious failure, or her very frail yet still very much alive ego taking a targeted hit from someone she very much admires, or perhaps it is simply the drop that makes the cup run over for whatever reason. Either way, Sara’s words have found purchase beneath Five’s armor and like a frightened animal she strikes out on instinct, barely registering the words as they pass her lips.

”Military issue espionage pokémon are trained from birth in obedience, I’ve read. Must make training a breeze. But that has nothing to do with you, I’m sure,” Five bites out while keeping her eyes to the ground. Later, she will regret giving lip to one of the more influential and possibly lethal figures of the township, but for now Five is wallowing in self-pity and unable to care about the intricate policies of the apocalypse. Even though she has technically been officially encouraged several times to be slightly less deferential in public as to not attract attention to Project Greenshoot.

Sara gives her a sly smile, eyes twinkling. ”None of your concern, now is it? What I will say is that you are going about this the wrong way. Of course, I could give you a few pointers. Unless you prefer to continue this hopeless exercise in frustration. Up to you.”

Five reigns herself in, says nothing this time. Every single time she has opens her dumb mouth things turn sour, sooner or later.

”Lucario are an extremely capable and skilled pokémon species, and exceptionally rare at that. They are omnivores, though meat is very much preferable. Usually they live in smaller packs in the deep mountains away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, and their unique ability to read and manipulate auras is unparalleled. Highly intelligent, my darling Donal more so than most I would say, able to understand and even communicate complex, abstract concepts. Most Lucario seem to have a natural sense of justice, and will react badly when training is not mutually beneficial to trainer and pokémon.” The Lucario has left her side to circle around the hesitant Cubone with a calculating look on its face as Sara speaks. ”This is just the smallest piece of knowledge that I have about the species of my pokémon. Useless information for you, of course. And yet, I keep droning on and on about all the things that I know, and you don’t. Seems like quite a dull thing to do in this kind of sticky situation, no?”

Five quickly schools her face into a more neutral expression, having unconsciously tightened her lips into the slightest scowl during Sara’s monologue.

”You don’t know anything about the Cubone species, so let’s skip that entire lecture for now. I’m sure a capable runner like yourself will be able to get your hands on that kind of information without having to bruise your ego asking me for it. So let’s look at what you do know instead, hm?” Sara continues, ignoring the low growl coming from Cubone as Lucario stops to study it. ”You intruded on an injured Cubone’s territory after nightfall, where he was all alone in a ditch far from both people and pokémon. You fed him scraps, and he climbed into your backpack and refused to be left behind. Strange thing, I’ll give you that. Here at Abel, he seems… let’s just call it displeased for lack of more polite terms, to be in the communal building. In other words, he doesn’t mingle well with strangers. Other people that have tried to gain his favour and trust have gotten nothing but sullen stares and the occasional light beating. Wherever you go, he follows at a distance, and grows defensive when you try to get close.”

It is becoming increasingly obvious where Sara is going with this guessing game to Five, and the impending conclusion is not something she is inclined to take to heart at this point in time. Maybe at all. In the zombie apocalypse, people can die whenever, so if Five’s lucky she’ll be grey before she’ll have to face her own flaws.

”I could give you my take on things, of course. Standing by my side is a disciplined and loyal pokémon, and you’ve got an armoured little gremlin following you around like a shadow, beating you with a stick whenever he damn well feels like it. You have to admit that’s funny.”

There’s a long pause, and it is almost enough to make sweat start beading at Five’s forehead but her lips won’t move. What admission Sara wants her to come to is not difficult to understand, but the strings of correct words dancing through her brain don’t seem to make their way down to her mouth.

Pride and shame battle fiercely within her. Five is locked between feeling completely unable to admit to any kind of vulnerability, while also simultaneously terrified to portray herself as devoid of empathy. Her tongue feels heavy and swollen resting behind flat teeth that aren’t sharp enough to tear through flesh and bone.

A few seconds pass that are long enough to draw every single breath of air from her lungs.

The result is pathetic. Absolute silence.

”It’s referred to as the lonely pokémon, did you know? Curious thing, in my opinion.” Sara inspects her fingernails in a very pointed manner, before catching Five’s eyes in a way that makes it clear she is not to look away.

It makes her squirm, and a knot is growing in her stomach.

”Alarmed at the thought of having a companion that is similar enough to you that it might actually understand and know you?” Sara’s voice is teasing at the surface, but sharp and calculating beneath it. ”Or maybe you simply don’t want a pokémon that is like you because you think you, and by extension it, is broken and bad?”

The knot settles firmly in the centre of Five’s stomach, making her feel ill.

Suddenly, a loud horn blares through the silence for one short signal, followed by Janine’s voice booming over the intercoms accompanied by gunshots in the distance. ”Calling Runner Five! Or Runner Eight! Or both. Runner Five and Runner Eight, report to the gates!”

Only seconds after that, Janine’s voice starts filtering through her headset, which Five quickly pulls up over her ears to listen properly. Sara has already done the same, and motions for Five to follow over her shoulder as she and her pokémon turn to jog towards the gates. ”Runner Five and Runner Eight, urgent assignment! Sam’s on a rest period, but we’ve discovered a traitor in the camp. We need you to chase her down before she gets away!”

”Copy that, Janine. On my way,” Sara answers, and turns to shout at Five over her shoulder. ”Come on, Five, let’s get going. And don’t you worry, we’ll save this little game of ours for a later date.”

Five takes off after her, only stumbling on the first step.

From this perspective up above as she passes them by, the scribbles Cubone made in the dirt earlier looks like a pair of vaguely humanoid, thick figures, one larger and one smaller, both wearing bulky helmets.

After a few seconds, a quick pattering behind Five gives her a moment to prepare before a heavy weight lands on her back and small hands claw into her shoulders like vices. She steadies herself and starts running.

— S1M19

The ceremony for Chris McShell is held on a foggy day, and the dim skies accurately reflect the mood of the runners returning from the forest walking through the gates. Most are met by their pokémon at the gates, thankful for whatever comfort they are given.

Five is silently thankful that Chris was one of the few in the township to not have a pokémon. She is feeling raw as it is, and the thought of watching a confused companion looking for someone that’s not coming back cuts like a knife. Without words, her Cubone crawls into her arms and settles in, filling her with warmth. It’s not enough to thaw the small pinprick of cold somewhere deep inside her chest, but it feels marginally better.

She listened to him die. Sam didn’t cut the feed.

Somewhere in the world, he might have had a daughter waiting for him. More likely is that he will be joining her amongst the dead.

Five showers without really taking notice of the icy temperature. The stiff sensations in her limbs actually makes it easier to remember that she does inhabit a body, and that she is here. Every time her boots hit the ground she becomes more heavy and solid, grounding her in reality. Her Cubone is shadowing her every step, for once not climbing over her frame to take a seat on her shoulders like he usually does. Strangely enough, Five thinks, the weight on her shoulders feels heavier than usual even so.

The bell rings, and Five follows routinely. A haze has settled over her mind, and it’s enough to dull her senses to the person quickly approaching her from the left. Sara catches her by the arm as she walks mindlessly to the mess hall, holding her firmly enough to not be easily brushed off. Her Lucario walks up behind Sara, and the usual silent staring contest ensues between their two pokémon.

”Hey there, Five,” Sara greets her, and the little sparkle in her eye is familiar enough to let Five know that she’s got a mission. ”I won’t keep you for too long. We’re expected, after all.”

Squinting at the last rays of the evening sun, Sara takes her sweet time before continuing as the light illuminates her rugged features. A breeze moves past the four of them, and Five feels like an ancient statue. Like someone that has been rooted in place for millennia, muscles of heavy stone, growing moss and collecting dirt.

”It feels good not to be the only one left who knows my boys’ faces. We remember them, don’t we Donal?” Sara says fondly, and her Lucario looks away from Cubone to respond with a short nod. There’s a faraway look in her eyes, and it takes Five a moment to actually register the words. It’s not every day that Sara speaks of her family, let alone her sons. ”Someone must, I should think.”

There’s a beat, and Five waits. She has learned that Sara usually takes her time setting the mood before getting to her point when she doles out her wisdom.

Sara exhales evenly, letting her hand fall from Five’s arm after clapping her on the shoulder. ”If you’re the only one thinking about them sitting all alone in your room, it’s mourning. But if you’ve got someone to share the memories with, you’re celebrating them. That’s my take on it, anyway.”

Furrowing her brow just the tiniest bit, Five tries to put the pieces together. It could be that she is being admonished for isolating herself with her grief, but that is an unfair assumption. Sara can’t have missed that she caught Five as she was going to the mess hall, where the atmosphere of loss is the thickest. She pulls her arms closer to her sides, jaw clenching slightly with tension.

Sara tilts her head, and gives her a look that Five can’t discern the intent behind, before nodding towards the ramshackle building. ”Don’t just be there, Five. Be present. It’s bad at first, I’ll give you that much. But it’s better in the long run.”

Turning on her heel with her Lucario following close behind, Sara leaves Five in the dust as she casually strolls through the doorway. Five stares intently at the ground, unwilling to risk meeting Sara’s eyes should she glance back for one last look.

Her advice is not lost on Five, and in most circumstances it would be marvellous and healthy advice. But for Five, it’s only words in the wind. She’s not strong enough to be present in the face of this kind of grief. There’s barely enough left of her inside to keep her going through the days as it is. There is no energy nor will left to spare on mental health after the taxing realities of the zombie apocalypse.

Looking down at her solid feet, planted on the ground, there is Cubone looking back up at her with solemn eyes.

She won’t do be able to do what Sara is asking, she thinks as she bends down to scoop her pokémon up into her arms. It’s not even worth trying.

Five still walks into the mess hall, though. Her chest is warmer, and the Cubone clings to her shirt.

#zombies run #@notforconsumption #zr secret santa #yoooo so i hope this is at least enough to make you a little more merry this christmas #i tried to be overtly shippy but i just....... can't???? with five and sara #so it is subtle but it's there #the piece in itself is NOT christmas-y #and i'm rambling #but i hope you like it anyway

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crazyspookies · 6 years ago

Text

ZRS7M16-19

All these serve the very specific purpose of 1) me yelling about stuff and 2) Collecting All the Clues to keep them in mind (so that i can yell later)

M16

1) “Turn on fans, stop zombies.” I still don’t understand this. I guess it will be useful at some point in the future but it sounds so...dumb? You can stop the zombies byt putting an insane amount of air in front of them??? Do random zombies in the wild suddenly stop when it gets really windy??? How did veronica even find this out, why would anyone make this kind of experiment it just sounds so random. Like if original v-types were the viking ones, it would make more sense that the things we got to make the antidote for sigrid’s zombie variant, would still be effective. You know, the fungus and the flowers and the grail of blood??? Which seems to be the original methods that worked with the zombies to a certain degree?? Like, original zombie virus rolls in, causes a huge ruckus, humanity isn’t destroyed and all those vikings end up in caves, sleeping. How did they do that, what happened there.

2) VERONICA MCSHELL: It’s hard to admit when you feel like a part of you is missing.

NADIA AL HANAKI: I understand that. I understand better than anyone! But just because something’s missing doesn’t mean you’re less than. You just have to find a way to work with it. I did.

VERONICA MCSHELL: I was… embarrassed. I thought I knew what this experience would be like. I chose it. But without the resources ANNIE once had, there are limits to my processing power. I’m not sure what I’m worth.

IM NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING

3) “Some fish use their skin receptors to track the location of the things they need. I’m studying on weather patterns to see if wind has an effect on a larger scale.” Guess this makes sense? It’s been a long time since i’ve played (and since i’ve played this) so my mental clue wall is a bit rusty but then again those zombies seem to be not only intelligent but seem to work together so hive mind sounds more like the thing. Were the zombies capable of being organized back in viking times? what. is. going. on

M17

1) “Still treating the country like a giant game of Risk with your ex” Yeah and i am full of untrusty feelings about it and i know i’m gonna get fucked by both and not in a good way

2) “I keep telling you people, Brent’s vulnerable. Now is the time to make alliances against him before everybody’s on his side. Janine’s blind if she can’t see that” Maybe she thinks you’re incredibly untrustworthy because you are, in fact, incredibly untrustworthy. I mean, anyone amelia thinks she has to wanr people about is def. a shithole i don’t want to get my foot near to but it’s not like like her word is worth much yakno *squinty eyes*

3) “Barb and Harley, they said they only joined the Riders because they didn’t trust any settlement telling them things were going to get better.”

SAM YAO: Oh, what? So they settled for looting, arson, and pillaging instead?

KYTAN: Look, the Riders are mostly just lost kids. They look around the world, and all they see is a wasteland full of backstabbing factions. A lot of them really think this is a more honest way to live.

SAM YAO: Yeah. Well, let’s not forget, these are the people who almost blew up Parliament. And fed zombie blood to ravers for a laugh. And tried to raid the Long Way Home convoy, which was actually full of lost children.

I’m with sam with this one. Like, there’s only so much sympathy i can give to “lost” people who decide that murdering innocent people that are trying to survive in a shitty situation, turning them into zombies and getting children killed just because they want “chaos”. Which is not much at all. I understand some where roped into it and wanted to get out and didn’t know how but that’s not everyone you know. And not everyone joined the gang at it’s origin either.

7) ” The Riders want to take Nadia on a rabbit hunt as an initiation”

Me looking at s2s knowing that they know that i know what’s going to happen

(Prediction: rabbits are PEOPLE and five’s going to end up being the rabbit i know this from deep in my bones)

8) SAM YAO: Uh, uh, yeah. It’s uh… hold on, it’s on my desk. [paper rustles]” Babe....

9) “Five, did you notice that one of the Riders has a tattoo of your head on a spike? “

11) “You could pop up in front of them and lure them away from the poor innocent town“

12) “Off the top of my head, we could let them kill Five.” i feel so loved in this chili’s today

13)” Run, rabbit, run! “ i just had a flashback that reminded me that in the airdrop missions the guy from mullins gave five the codename Rabbit and i’m not sure what to do with this information but here it is.

M18

1) “Janine thinks the rave was a trial run. There’s a Peace UK movement that’s running cross-settlement events to try to get people working together. There’ll be talks and parties.” oh boy. Like, very nice and all but you know.

2) “I saw one scalp his best friend yesterday. They were reenacting a scene from Inglourious Basterds. Didn’t realize it would actually work.”

3) STEVE SISSAY: Sorry. After you.

KEFILWE LOBATSE: No, please. Go ahead.

Well this is akward

4) FIRST GUARD: Mates? Mates? What makes you think we’re mates?

STEVE SISSAY: No, I – I just meant -

afsdfsghafhdghaf

5) “someone or something called The Method” i feel like it will be important at some point in the future but i keep forgetting about it

6) STEVE SISSAY: I’m doing great, love. I mean, as great as a bloke who got dumped on live radio can possibly be.

KEFILWE LOBASTE: If you hadn’t been so sure you knew what I’d say, you wouldn’t have put yourself in that position. Honestly, proposing on public radio? What were you thinking?

7) KEFILWE LOBATSE: That. That’s why. Because you have to know best about everything, except the things that matter.

STEVE SISSAY: Oh.

8) STEVE SISSAY: That’s why I love you. I do, you know. I – I love you.

KEFILWE LOBATSE: I know.

You know it’s strange to have this whole conversation at this moment becausei kinda sounded like they had def broken up when we went through the CATS nightmare fuel trip and some parts of this conversation sounded both like “this is over over” and “if we had talked about the problems of our relationship properly then maybe things would be different so maybe there’s hope in the future” and it’s a bit confusing.I liked that ship but i guess we must move on..

9) NADIA AL HANAKI: Was that it? I’ve guffed more explosively than that.“ adfadghsfh

10) “Two of them bumped into each other and now they’ve started a knife fight.” this is horrifying but kind of hilarious???

11) [Runner Five tackles CARRIER]

KEFILWE LOBASTE: That was very… athletic, Five.

Five:

12) “ A briefing document, copied. It says, “When you get the signal, go to the most crowded part of your settlement and take the pill. The end is coming. A gray wave will wash over the world, and nothing living will remain.” “

M19

1) “PAULA COHEN: Oh, because self-destruction is so this season.” Never stop being a sassy queen paula

2) “We just wanted to play with it, all [imitates squeal] and that.“

3) “The V-types bite corpses, and then turn them into ghouls. That’s what we call the yellow eyes. And then you said the ghoul went sleepy and growly? It must have been turning full V-type.“ well, we’re fucked. Considering the amount of corpses that the v-types can get their greedy lilttle hands on by basically stepping into ANY DAMND GRAVEYAND AND DIGGING A BIT this really is...not good at all.

4) At least we don’t have to worry about the raiders anymore i guess?

5) “SAM YAO: I’ll talk to Amelia. I think she’s got a contingency for a breakout in New Canton. Involves dumping a ton of concrete from aircraft. “ Leave it to amelia to make me laugh

#zombies run #zrs7 spoilers #fennel's zr recaps

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zombierunfiction · 7 years ago

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Season 2 Mission 11: The Kids Are Alright

A few days later the sky was overcast with snow fall imminent in the next few days. Charlotte was putting on her layers of clothes for her run. She had gotten a message on Rofflenet from Archie that they would be doing a run together based on what Charlotte and Estaban had found in Lem's home. She walked out of the comms shack and headed for the packs when Evan stopped her before she got there.

"Good morning Charlotte." Evan said quickly.

Charlotte blinked looking up at him slightly. "Hi Evan. Can I help you with something?"

"I am planning a mission with Janine and the Major in the next few weeks and I want you to go with me." Evan said simply.

She took a slow breath as she looked at him. "What's the mission?"

"Need to know right now. But I am specifically requesting you to accompany me." He said looking down at her.

"Why?"

"Everything will be explained during the mission." Evan said briskly.

"So I don't have much of a choice do I?" Charlotte said with a sharp edge to her tone.

Evan raised an eyebrow. "You do. You always can say no. But it will be in your best interest to come with me."

"Fine. But if I don't like how things are going, I'm heading back to Abel." Charlotte said as Evan nodded.

"Agreed. Have a good run Charlotte." Evan started to walk past her before stopping. "I have to say the long hair suited you better." He said before heading away from the packs.

Charlotte turned and looked at his retreating back. She knew that something was going to happen on that mission and would need to be ready. She hoped she was just being paranoid but something in the way Evan looked at her spoke otherwise. She grabbed her pack and axe then headed for the gate.

"Raise the gates!" Sam said in her headset. The gates raised with the siren as Sam sighed softly. "Oh, man. Those gates have had a hard life. Just look at them! If those gates could talk, they'd say. 'Help, I'm constantly being attacked by zombies!' Right, where was I? Oh, yeah, Covering fire!" The snipers take out a few zombies that were near by. "And you're off!" Charlotte took off down the path heading for the meeting point.

"How are you today love?" Sam asked with a smile.

"I'm ok." Charlotte said slowly.

"Something bothering you?" He questioned.

"Just something that happened before I got my pack. Do you know anything about a mission that Evan is planning in the next few weeks?" Charlotte questions.

"Um... I don't have anything but then again Janine makes out the missions for the week. Why?"

Charlotte sighed softly. "Evan asked me... well more like told me that I would be going on a mission with him that is in my best interest to go."

"And your leery about it." Sam finished.

"Yeah... I really hope I'm just overreacting but... he said that he said the long hair was better on me..."

Sam was silent for a moment. "Do you want me to try talking to him?"

Charlotte sighed softly. "I will talk to him on the mission. I told him that if something doesn't feel right I will leave."

"That's my girl. Now anyway onto the mission. You know what they say about children and animals, yeah? So, it turns out there was all sorts of interesting stuff in that journal Lem left behind. Hmm, that's not good, is it?" Sam said slowly.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked as she suddenly stopped seeing what Sam probably saw. The road was flooded in front of her forcing her to go a longer way around. "Looks like that rain we had last night was rather hard. No wonder I slept so well." she said chuckling.

"Nice to know. Out of those CD's you and Jody brought back there's one of nature sounds. I'll play that for you when I'm doing night work." Sam said making Charlotte smile.

"You're a sweet heart Sammy." Charlotte said with a smile.

"You're welcome... damn that is a lot of flooding. Bloody global warming. You'd think the apocalypse would have stopped it, but apparently, the gas from all those decaying zombies is worse than cow farts." Sam said gagging. "Runner Seven and Four have beaten a path through that linseed to your left. Just follow that."

Charlotte continued to run already being able to see her breath. "So you were saying something about children?"

"Oh yea. Lem talked about this guy called Jamie, who's been looking after a whole bunch of kids since the Big Zed. Lem used to bring stuff they needed - toys, food, vaccines, DVD's of In the Night Garden - but he really wanted to move the whole lot of them to New Canton, only... well you know what happened before he could." Sam explained.

"That still doesn't seem right. The people who do the most good get taken out while people who hurt others like Van Ark continue to live." Charlotte said almost bitterly.

"I know..." Sam sighed softly. "So, anyway, the Fraternal Alliance - does that sound weird to you? It sounds weird to me. apparently, that's what we've agreed with New Canton to call ourselves." He laughs softly. "The Fraternal Alliance is going to try and finish what Lem started. We located the kids' primary school, and we're hoping they're still alive after all this time. Keep running, and keep your fingers crossed. If, uh, that doesn't interfere with the running."

"Not to worry Sam, I can do both." Charlotte said continuing to run.

Soon Charlotte came up to an old rail road line that looked like it hadn't been used in years. "Alright Five, you've crossed the rail line, which means you might come to the end of my camera coverage fairly soon. Those bloody fast zoms took out about a dozen to the east, here. New Canton's supplying us with headcams, but until those arrive, it's going to be audio only, I'm afraid." Sam said.

"I noticed mine didn't have a head cam. Did it need work?" Charlotte asked as she ran along side the rail line.

"On the plus side, I've got someone else to entertain you!" Sam said happily

"I'm not exactly here for a casual chat, Sam." Maxine said seriously.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sure you can still be entertaining." Sam reassured.

"Oh yeah. I'm a riot!" Maxine said with a grin.

"You know, I hardly ever seem to see you anymore." Charlotte said slowly.

"Yeah... I know you Maxine. Paula's working with Van Ark. She's half-zombified. It's not nothing, Maxine. No matter how much you pretend, you haven't been the same since... well, since we had the news." Sam said slowly.

"I can't, Sam. I just... can't talk about." Maxine said seriously.

"Well, you know that, when you want tom we're both here for you." Charlotte said.

"Yeah. Well, we've got a mission to run." Maxine bypassed.

"Yeah. Um, but you know... yeah. Uh, Runner Five, you see that left turn up ahead? Take that, and keep running. You're getting close now." Sam said as she followed his instructions. She looked up at the sky seeing the low over hanging clouds above her gave her an ominous feeling. "Okay, Runner Five. You're almost in sight of the target now. Probably time for Maxine to fill you in on the reason she's here."

"It's these children. The Major's concerned about them, about their mental health, I should say." Maxine said slowly.

"Yeah, Look at all of us. I mean, we've all dropped a few sandwiches from the picnic hamper since the apocalypse. And we're grown-ups. How the hell do you cope with this kind of thing if you're a child?" Sam questions.

"Not well I assume." Charlotte suggested. "Hell divorce is pretty tramatic to a child seeing family members go gray and see them get eaten that's a whole different level."

"I'm no child psychologist-" Maxine started.

"Now, that was the old old Runner four. He was eaten by zoms before you showed up." Sam said.

"Which means I'm the best we have left. I did a residency in pediatrics back home, and I suspect PTSD will be the least of it with these kids." Maxine said.

Charlotte nodded slowly. "Considering what I've seen of the children at Abel they seem pretty resistant to what's going on. My father used to say that children were like rubber. Things bounce off them without context."

"Somethings do somethings don't." Maxine said slowly.

"Hmm. Hold on, still have visual on you, Five. There's movement inside that discount warehouse ahead. Too far to be certain, but... yeah, steer clear. Don't want to lead the zombies straight on to the kids. That could be... actually, I don't even want to think about it." Sam said.

"And there's your problem!" Maxine exclaims. "Adults are pretty good at denial. Children? They don't have the defense mechanisms. Everything they experience is raw."

"It might be raw Maxine but somethings they don't understand so they don't have context. They might very well think of this as a joke the adults are playing." Charlotte said slowly. "How old are these children?"

"From what Lem wrote they were Year 1 students. So around 5 to 6 years old." Sam said.

"They could be doing much better than you would believe. It's when they become adults that things will be dicey." Charlotte cautioned.

"Which we won't know until we meet up with them." Maxine said quickly.

"Did you ever want kids, Maxine? With Paula, I mean?" Sam questioned.

Maxine sighed heavily. "You're not going to let this lie, are you?"

"No. He's right you know. It's not healthy to bottle it up Maxine." Charlotte said as she jumpped over a set of fallen branches.

"Actually, I didn't want kids. Paula did. We had a huge row about it, once. She said I was just being selfish, and that I'd make a great mom!" Maxine said softly. "Kind of contradictory, if you think about it. But it's probably just as well, isn't it? With the world as it is now. Ugh, it's no place for children."

Charlotte took a slow breath. "I know I can only speak for myself Maxine... but if I could have a child I would want one."

"R-Really?" Sam stuttered.

Charlotte laughed. "Yes really Sam. Could you imagine a child between us? Half chinese half Creole?"

Sam chuckled softly. "Yea that would be amazing. I imagine that a lot of children are going to be orphaned because of this... maybe we could take one in. In the future I mean." He stammered.

Charlotte smiles. "I'd like that."

"Look at that, over there." Maxine said suddenly as Charlotte blinked looking around before stopping in a small clearing seeing yet another one of the campsites that had been poping up recently. It was always a ring of stones with burnt wound that had been put out with holes in the group all around the area.

"I still think these look like my old girl scout days." Charlotte said checking the circle of rocks.

They were cold.

"You were a girl scout?" Maxine questioned.

"For a summer. I was 8 and I punched out another girl for stealing the money I got from selling cookies. Long story short I was kicked out, my mother was devistated and my father had it out with the girls father." Charlotte said standing up.

Maxine and Sam started to laugh before hearing footsteps coming up behind Charlotte making her turn seeing Archie running over. "Hey, Charlotte! Fancy meeting you here in this mysterious abandoned campsite on the way towards the school. They're so interesting and strange, these camps."

"You arranged to meet Runner five here, Archie. You're going on this mission together." Sam said sounding rather confused.

"I know! But I'm still pleased to see Runner Five! alive, and also not hating NAdia anymore. You don't hate Nadia anymore, do you?" Archie asks softly.

"Hate is a strong word Archie. I have forgiven Nadia for what happened but I won't forget. If she tries it again well I'll make sure she is removed from the radio operators position permanently." Charlotte said with a serious look.

Archie nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Nadia's been reinstated. I think it was pretty big of Runner five to speak on her behalf." Sam said almost bitterly.

"Yes. Charlotte is very nice. That's why we're going to rescue all these children!" Archie said happily.

"Okay, well, you should be close to the school soon." Sam said as they left the camp site heading towards the school building. "I'm losing full-grade visual. Uh, yeah tell me what you can see."

Archie and Charlotte stopped at the top of a hill overlooking the school yard and building. "There's a big brown... actually, it's more beige? Maybe cream? A big cream building, with a fence around it, and an oak tree in front. Is that it?" Archie asked.

"Sounds about right. Any sign of the kids?" Sam asked.

"No. Looks very quiet up here." Charlotte said as they scanned the area.

"Too quiet." Archie said before blinking. "Can Is ay that? 'Too quiet'? If I say it, will a man in a hockey mask jump out and kill me?"

"More likely to be a zom." Charlotte said with a chuckle.

"Like those zombies - the ones shambling towards us from the school gates?" Archie said pointing to the small group heading towards them.

"Yes quite." Charlotte said as they started to run around them heading for the school.

"I don't like the sound of that." Sam said slowly.

"And the school is empty." Charlotte said slowly. "There's blood on the hopscotch court, and the windows are all broken. No bodies though... maybe those zombies..."

"Don't say it!" Sam called quickly.

"Oh, oh, wait! I see two children in the playing field." Archie said pointing at the two distant figures. "But the zombies have seen them, too!" She said quickly.

"You've got to run-" Sam started before Archie lept in.

"We're going!" She said determinedly. The two of them took off towards the kids as fast as they could. Charlotte saw the kids see the zombies and start to take off away from them crying out as they ran.

"Report, guys! Are the kids-" Sam started.

"Not now, please!" Archie cried out desperately.

"Yeah, but are the kids-" Sam continued.

"They're alive. They're running." Charlotte said fast.

"The zombies are still twenty- no, it's fifteen - oh God, the zombies are only ten paces behind them!" Archie cried out.

"And you?" Sam questioned.

"Thirty!" Charlotte calls out.

"But they're not fast zoms, are they? You can still catch up, can't you? they're only the shambling type, right?" Sam asked.

"We're nearly... we're nearly... oh, come on, legs!" Archie cried out as Charlotte put her thumb and middle finger between her lips and whistled loud and high pitched making the zombies stop briefly giving them a brief chance to pass them.

"OW! What the hell was that?!" Sam shouted.

"Sorry Sam. I figured a whistle would get their attention." Charlotte said as she ran up to the little blond haired boy scooping him up cradling him tight as Archie struggled to pick up the dark haired girl and keep up with her.

"Very heavy child..." Archie whined trying to adjust the little girl clutching onto her tight.

"You got them!" Sam said happily.

"Yes, but the zombies... too close!" Archie whines.

"Come on Archie we can do it!" Charlotte said.

The little girl in Archie's arms continued to cry hard into Archie's coat. "I want Jamie! Where's Jamie?" She cried out.

"Uh, Archie, is that you talking?" Sam questions.

"No it's the little girl." Charlotte said as Archie cried out.

"Ow! Don't bite! Be nice little girl. What's your name, little girl?" Archie asked still paniced.

"I want Jamie!" The girl cried out again.

"I have the little boy." Charlotte said as the boy was just crying in her arms.

"Try and speak quietly and calmly to them, Archie." Maxine offered.

"While still, well you know avoiding the zombies." Sam said quickly.

Charlottle looks over seeing Archie struggling just to hold the crying girl. She looks back seeing the zombies had multiplied. "The zoms are right behind us."

"How close?" Sam questioned.

"Fifty paces now, but I'm... Charlotte is so strong. I don't know how much longer I can-" Archie said sounding winded.

"Come on Archie. You've got to try!" Charlotte said. "We can circle back around the school. Maybe barricade ourselves in. Sam send help!"

"On it!" Sam said fast.

"Yes, it's not so far. I think we can make it. We can definitely make it." Archie said as they went around a corner only for them to stop. "Oh..." Archie said in fear.

"What?" Sam asked.

"There's zombies ahead. Twenty... not at least thirty, and they're all around us, Sam! Between us and the school." Charlotte said as they backed up towards the fence holding the children tight.

"Well-" Sam started before Maxine cut in.

"Can you-?"

"Nothing we can do. We're surrounded." Charlotte said looking at the zombies begin to decend on them. She held onto the boy tight as they continued to cry as their impending death was stareing them straight in the face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

< 45 >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

#zombie #zombies run #zombie run #ZombieRun #zombiesrun #run #runner 5 #runner five #runner5 #runnerfive #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

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zombiesrundiary · 7 years ago

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Brunswick

Oof. What a day!

I wasn’t specifically scheduled for a run today, so I met up with Sam and Dr Myers for another training session to continue working on improving my speed and endurance for running. They both were clearly in high spirits when we began, as Sam regaled me with such musical hits as “Thriller” and “Ghostbusters” while Maxine did her best Zom impressions to “help” give me motivation for the running drills. Despite laughing the entire time, I managed to get a decent workout in and improved my pace overall from the first session. I’m definitely enjoying myself more than I expected with these.

Sam once again made an incredibly touching gesture after my training was finished. He found me as I was getting ready to sit out in the sun and write in this journal for a bit and gave me his deceased girlfriend’s (the old Runner 5) backpack to use while I’m out on my runs. It clearly holds a large amount of sentimental value for him, as he became choked up while explaining how he felt it should be put to use by a Runner instead of being kept by him as a memento. Seeing his eyes fill with tears left me speechless and overwhelmed with too many emotions to even begin to sort out.

Before I could get my mouth working again, Janine came over the com calling me to the gates for an emergency run. I shoved my journal into the bag and took off automatically, but thinking back on it...I don’t think I ever even told Sam thank you for the gift. I’m hoping he didn’t notice the slip...I don’t think he did. He ran off toward his office about as quickly as I headed to the gates and was on the com before I reached them. I need to remember to take some time to thank him when I get back.

Turns out the emergency was caused by a mix of several things all at once. One of New Canton’s satellite settlements basically turned completely Zom and created a horde of roughly 70 undead marching toward Brunswick, which had just lots its communication abilities to a fire last night. The only way to warn the residents was to send a Runner, and I was the only one available that wasn’t currently being treated for toxic fume inhalation.

Heading out, it was obvious that I’m definitely improving as a Runner. I was able to keep up a faster pace than before and the training session had left me feeling warmed up instead of already tired, though some of that might also have been the combination of adrenaline and the desire to keep anyone else from going through the kind of pain I saw reflected in Sam’s eyes when he gave me the backpack. I have to become the best Runner I can. I just have to.

As I closed in on Brunswick, Runner 8 turned up on the com. She was sent over this morning to help and told me everyone had been moved into camps in the woods nearby to keep them away from the fire until it burned out. She told me to go round up everyone while she barricaded one of the buildings for all of us to shelter from the Zoms until a team from Abel could be dispatched to take them out.

8 may have been really frosty toward me during our first run together, but I think this situation helped settle a lot of that. She was encouraging over the com and has been much friendlier since I showed up with the final group to bunker down. Maybe she’s not so bad after all. I guess I can’t really blame her earlier suspicions. I’d have probably been suspicious of me, too. Well, here’s hoping that’s all behind us now. With the Zoms out there, we don’t need to be fighting among ourselves. We’ve got enough problems trying to survive as it is.

#zombies run #zombies #runner 5 #running #fanfic #sci-fi & fantasy #zombie apocalypse

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shalebridgecradle · 7 years ago

Note

Re: our convo about Five's past from last night: I kinda want someone from Mullins showing up at Abel now. Someone eager to see the famous Runner 5, someone who gets utterly baffled and incredulous when they bring them the weird girl from the fort that no one liked or cared about. He thinks they're playing a joke on him, snarks that if she was that impressive they wouldn’t have let Abel keep her in the first place. And then pregnant Maxine hits him with a chair.

…oops, my hand slipped and I wrote a thing. Which was probably your intention all along, you horrible enabler. :P (Couldn’t arrange the chair hitting though. I tried, but it turns out there’s a short list of people Maxine would 100% flatten with a chair, and this dude’s not on it. …Yet.)

[2,869 words, ft. a mute, female Five. Spoilers through S4M4. Maybe a tiny warning for abuse if you read between the lines too hard.]

“Iredid most of Abel’s security after the unfortunate…incident thatwas Ms. Spens’s brief tenure,” Janine explained as they turnedthe corner from the armory. “You can see it surpasses even Ministrystandards.”

Theman walking at her side, one Captain Morden of Mullins Base, began tochuckle. “I never doubted it, ma’am. But it also never hurts tobe too careful when it comes to a visit from the Minister.”

“Ofcourse not.”

Thegate alarm sounded at that moment, pulling his attention away fromher. Morden shielded his eyes with a pale hand, squinting through thelate afternoon sunlight. “Is that one of your runners?” Heindicated a silhouette running across the gate threshold under theguards’ watchful eyes.

Janinechecked her watch. “That should be Runner Five, actually. Right onschedule.”

Morden’seyebrows shot up. “Oh? I’d been hoping to meet the famous RunnerFive on this trip.”

Ashints went, she thought that rather obvious. “Yes, there’s beenquite a demand for that of late. Since Five’s mission is completedI don’t see the harm, and we’ll need to coordinate with therunners for the Minister’s visit in any event.” She motioned himforward. “After you, Captain.”

Meanwhile, Runner Five foundherself preoccupied trying to brush all the dirt and dust off herclothes. She’d managed to trip into one of the outer trenches NewCanton had dug during their mind-controlled siege. They’d filledmost of them back in over the months, but this one had beenoverlooked—and was now overgrown with grass and weeds. Hence thetripping.

In her headset, Sam was telling herabout a massive DVD stockpile Cameo and Kytan had just stumbled overin between trying to fill out a work order to fix the trench. On topof that, the alarm still sounded as the gate slid shut and the guardswere all making idle small talk, both with her and around her. Itbordered on overwhelming and made it hard to focus on any one thingfor very long, which perhaps explained why she didn’t noticeJanine’s approach.

When she did finally look up,she took a sudden step backwards, almost into the gate.

A ghost out of her past stoodright there in front of her with that same old crooked smile.Lieutenant Morden. He didn’t look like he’d aged a day, save fora few new lines around the mouth. Maybe he’d lost a little weight.

It took him a moment torecognize her; when he did, his eyebrows shot up almost into his darkhair, but he said nothing. Just tilted his head to look at hersideways.

“Excellenttiming as usual, Runner Five,” Janine was saying. Five forcedherself to pay attention, hoping that if she ignored Morden he’ddisappear back into whateverhole he’d crawled out of.“This is Captain Morden from Mullins.” Apparently there’d beena promotion in her absence. “He’s here toreview our security ahead ofthe Minister’s visit, giventhat Mr. Sissay is occupied at New Canton.”

“RunnerFive,isit?”Something about the way he said her name made the hair on her armsstand on end. Heextendedhis hand,still smiling. Shedidn’t take it, and after an awkward moment he slid it into thepocket of his khakis instead.“Well.Pleasureto finallymeet you. Thewhole country’s singing your praises, you know.”

“Indeed.”Thefaint flicker of irritation in Janine’s voice made Five smile.Neither of them had quite figured out how to deal with all the fameand praisethathad descended on them over the past months.Mostly they’d mutually agreed to ignore it and hope it went away sothey could work in peace. “Ifyou have a minute, Five, I’dlike you toaccompany us back to the farmhouse. We need to discuss who’llbe running interference for the convoy. The Ministry trucks are boundto attract undue attention from the zombies.”

“Andit’ll give us a chance to talk,” Morden added. There was anundercurrent of mockery in his voice that Janine seemed to miss. “Getto know each other better.”

I’dsooner kiss a zom, wasFive’s first panicked thought. She didn’t say it out loud; it’drequire too much explaining. Instead she latched onto the firstexcuse that popped into her head.

“Later?I need to head to the infirmary,” she signed. On seeing Janine’sfrown she was quick to add, “Ran across some zoms. Routinescreening.”

“Isee. I was under the impression the route between Abel and New Cantonwas free of hostiles for the time being. Clearly my information isout of date.”

“Itwas clear,” Samchimed in at her ear. She could picture his brow furrowing inconfusion. “I mean, there was that scarecrow that looked likea zom, and we really need to talk to that one New Canton enclaveabout leaving their art projects lying around like that, but—areyou sure you’re okay, Five?”

Fivedidn’t answer him. She handed her overloaded backpack off to one ofthe gate guards while she waited for Janine’s response.

“Protocolis protocol for a reason,”she agreed with a short nod.“Go, Five. We’ll meetwith you later.”

“Thankyou.” She didn’t wait another moment before taking offat a quick jog, weaving her way through the scant crowd.

Notmore than ten feet later, she heard a familiar shout behind her.“Runner Five! Wait up!” Morden.Shethought about speeding up—running pell-mell through Abel wasgenerally frowned on unless there was an emergency, but she couldprobably get away with it. Thenin the next breathshe paused at a corner,decidingshe could hear him out. If only for a minute. She was a far differentperson than she’d been at Mullins—several times over by thispoint. She could handle him.

Andif she couldn’t, she could always outrun him.

“Itis you, isn’t it?Little Mouse?”

Well,he hadn’t changed at all.

“Mouse?”Sam was trying not to snicker. Five meanwhile was trying very hardnot to grimace. “I know you’re quiet, Five, but come on. Wait—youknow him? From Mullins?”

Mordengrinned at her, all teeth. “I don’t believe it. Imean, we heard all sorts of rumors—yousurvived the crash, you were dead orgone grey, the Exmoor Militiawere trying to hold you for ransom, all sorts of things. Thebrass never got around to telling us the real story. Guessthey figured it wouldn’t matter.” He tilted his head, waiting tosee if she’d notice the sideways jab. She had, but she refused toreact and give him the satisfaction. “Anyway,it’sgood to see you, Mouse.We all missed you, you know?”

Shebit the inside of her cheekto stop herself from laughingin his face. “I doubt it,”she retorted.

Morden,as ever, didn’t understand. “Sure, sure. Hell of a way from CBlock, isn’t it? Guess you’re living the high life these days.Ministry loves this littlehole in the wall.”

Somehowthe slight against Abel was what offended her the most. She turnedand resumed her jog toward the hospital. If Morden couldn’t keepup, that was his problem.

“Hey!Come back!”

“I’mguessing he’s…not your long-lost best friend?” Sam asked at thesame time. She heard his chair creak as he shifted hisweight.

“Notexactly.” That was all she was able to explain to her headcambefore Morden caught up.

“You’refaster than I remember. Now,where’s Runner Five?”

Thatcaused her to slow her step. She turned to look back at him, hereyebrows arched as if to say,what? Even Mordencould figure out what she meant.

“They’reputting me on, yeah?” He’dstarted to laugh. “It’s alla prank, right? De Luca wasin on it the whole time. AndI heard she had no sense of humor.Come on. Where’s the real RunnerFive?”

“Thisis the ‘real’Runner Five, you—” Sam stopped short of actually swearing, optinginstead for a frustrated, inaudiblegrumble. “Is everyone at Mullins as thick as he is? No wonder youdidn’t want to go back, Five.”

Five,her face drawn and placid, indicated the armband on her bicep, whichonly made Mordenlaugh harder. “No, come on!You’re really sticking with this, Mouse?Bloody hell,I remember back when youcouldn’t take a joke, letalone pull one off.”

“What’she on about?”

Shedebated switching her headset off altogether butknew that would only serve to upset Sam. It wouldn’t stop him fromwatching on the nearest security camera, either.

Mordenmeanwhile insisted on carrying on. Hesounded less and less amused by the second.“All right, fine, you’vegot me! Ha-bloody-ha. Now we’re even, Mouse. Is that what you wantto hear?”

Youcan’t deck him, shethought, schooling her expression into one of steely indifference.It’d just causean incident.

Whenshe didn’t respond he reached out and grabbed her elbow, jerkingher backwards a step and forcingher to stop. Inher ear she heard a sharp intake of breath.

“D’youreally expect me tobelieve that you’re the hero of Comansys Tower? The Minister’sgolden child? You?”His voice had dropped to a low, harshwhisper. She shook his hand off, elbowing him in the side in theprocess.

“Five.I can have a guard there in tenseconds. Just say the word.”

Shesigned a quick no toherheadcam and keptmoving.

Mordeninsisted on following her. He made another grab for her elbow but sheanticipated it, dodging sideways out of his reach.

Still,as she pushed through the doors to the hospital, hefollowed right at her heels. She could hear him huffing and puffingfor breath as she sped upstill more. Apparentlyhe’d fallen out of shape since she’d seen him last, she notedwith some faint vindictive amusement. “Come on,” he cajoledbetween one breath and the next. “This is just getting sad now!”

Fiveignored him, winding her way through the crowded halls to Maxine’soffice. She knew the route by muscle memory alone now. That made iteasier to tune Morden out. Atleast until they reached the office door—wherehe put on a burst of speed and beat her there by seconds. He grabbedthe doorknob and held it tight, blocking her path.

Fivemet his icy stare without flinching.A white-hot anger had started to burn its way up her chest. “Move.”She finished with a shooing motion that he couldn’t possiblymisunderstand. Still, he didn’t move. She could feel thefrustration practically rolling off him. Anger management wasn’t arequirement for promotion at Mullins, shesupposed.

“Faceit, little Mouse. You were never that impressive. Youthink the higher-ups at Mullins would’ve left you out here in thebloody boonies if you werethat special? You remember CBlock, don’t you? ‘The C stands for cannon fodder.’Isn’t that what we used tosay? Nobody from there’sworth a scrap. Not me, andsure as hell not you.”

Well.He was half right. She flipped him off beforeshe elbowed him right in the stomach, forcing him tomove out of her way. He letgo of the door to rub his sternum, grimacing. “You and your damnsharp elbows—”

Sheturned the doorknob at the same time someone inside the room did.“Five,” Maxine murmured in quiet surprise. She had one hand onthe door, the other rubbing a sore spot on her lower back. Behindher, Dr. Lobatse waved tothem over a stack of filefolders. “Janine radioed tosay you’d be stopping in.” Hergaze fell on Morden next, her lips pursing into a frown. Fivewondered how much she’d overheard. Sam had gone oddly quiet too.

“CaptainMorden.” The ice in her voice told Five she’d overheard more thanenough. She stood aside, leaving just enough room betweenher growing stomach and the doorframe forFive to slip into the room sideways.

UnfortunatelyMorden didn’t get the subtle message that he wasn’t invited. WhenMaxine tried to close the door in his face he caught it, pushing hisway into the room after them. “So sorry to intrude, Dr. Myers. Dr.Lobatse,” he added, nodding to Kefilwe. “Yourrunner and I were just catching up on old times. Isn’tthat right, Runner Five?”As he said it he clapped Fiveacross the back. Five didn’t move.

Maxine,still frowning, glancedback and forth between the two of them. “Is that right? Ididn’t realize you two knew each other.”At the same time she signedto Five, “If you want himgone…”

“Oh,sure.” Morden carried on,all cheer, like he hadn’teven noticed her signing. Maybe he hadn’t.“Mullins is divided up into all those wards and blocks since wetook on so many refugees,you know?” When Maxinenodded, he continued, “Iused torun C Block back in the day,where our friend here used tolive. Guess you got tired of me bossing you around, eh, Mouse? Tookoff for greener pastures?”

Fivesigned something. She’dbarely finished before Mordenclapped her across the shoulders again, laughing.

“Yousee? Old pals.” Ashe said it she’d tensed her whole back, shrugging his hand off her.

“Oh,”Maxine began, deadpan, “so you must understand sign language,then.”

Morden,jamming his hands in his pockets now,shrugged and kept grinning. “Ofcourse! Might be a little rusty after all this time, but—”

“ThenI guess what Five just said about you and that goat must be true?”Behind her, Dr. Lobatse hadstarted to snicker into her hand. “Ifyou’re not going to dispute it, I mean.”

“I—”Morden’swhole face had begun to turn red, starting from the ears on down.Five made a quick sidewaysstep to get out of the inevitable blast radius as he continued tostammer. “Listen, this isall just some stupid bloody joke you lot have come up with—we allknow that’s not the real RunnerFive. It can’t be! I—”

Maxinelistened to him for a few moments before she turned to Five, archingan eyebrow.

“Throwhim out,” Fivesaid, pointing backto the door for emphasis.

Dr.Lobatse reacted before Maxine could, jumping to her feet. In a momentshe’d taken Morden’s arm, spinninghim around so fast Five almost made herself dizzy watching it. “Thisis a secure area, Captain,”she was saying as she steeredhim straight back out the door overhis protests.“We really can’t have youin here while we have a patient. And I’m sure you’ve kept Janinewaiting long enough as it is—” Kefilwehad them moving at double-time. They’d disappeared down the hall inthe next minute.

“Janine’sdefinitely going to hearabout this,” came the grumpy mutter from her headset. “They can’tjust waltz in here and treat our runners like that. Idon’t care who he works for. Youstay with Maxine, Five. I’m going to go talk to her.” Hisvoice had grown more distant as he talked, until sheheard the door to the comms shack click shut andthen nothing.

Whenthey were well and truly alone in the room, Maxine sighed,tight-lipped and tense. “Youreally knew him from Mullins?”

Fivenodded. “He was telling the truth about that much.”

“And…whatwas all that about you not being Runner Five?”

“It’sa long story.” She shrugged, holding her palms up. “Things weredifferent at Mullins. I wasn’t much use to anyone, and they didn’thave much use for me, either.”

Frowning,Maxine had just started to respond when the door opened again.

“Well!”Dr. Lobatsecame back in, dusting off herhands. “He seemedthoroughly unpleasant. Ithink Imight’ve strained his shoulder a little more than was necessary.”

“Oh.Too bad.” The sarcasm inMaxine’s voice was so thick it had a palpable presence in the room.

“Anyway,I was about to go put thekettle on. Five?”

Shenodded, slipping her headsetoff and setting it aside now that there was nothing therebesides empty air. Dr.Lobatse smiled and ducked into the next room to start on the tea.

Whenshe’d gone, Maxine called after her, “You’dbetter make mine decaf, Kefilwe.” Then, lowering her voice, “Areyou okay, Five?”

Sheconsidered her answer for a long moment, fingers twisting together.“I thinkso.” Morden might be asunpleasant as ever, but she could take some comfort in knowing shewasn’t his mute little Mouse anymore. If he didn’t want to seethat, that was his problem. Not hers.

“Younever talked much aboutMullins. I hope he didn’t bring up any bad memories for you.”

Asfar as she was concerned he was abad memory. Five shrugged again.

“Right,”Maxine sighed. “Well, if he has any sense he’ll apologize beforeJanine or Sam forces himto. Come have some tea in themeantime, Five. We can talkif you want.”

“I’dlike that.”

#zombies run #runner 5 #zrs4 spoilers #my stupid fanfics #long post #whirly wind #axe me a question #I named the OC after a Babylon 5 villain #that's how ridiculous and off the cuff this is #what am I doing with my life #I regret everything

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runner-eli · 7 years ago

Text

Interlude fic: Comfort Cans

Title: Comfort Cans Characters: mute!Runner 5, Eugene, Jack (mentioned), Janine (mentioned), Maxine (mentioned) Summary: Eugene and Runner 5 bond over beans. Notes: zrs2 spoilers. (in particular S2M2 to S2M5) This is cannon to this blog, but it might as well be read as stand-alone. I just really needed Runner 5 and Eugene to have a moment.

We weren't friends, necessarily. Eugene and I. Or maybe we were. The Zombie Apocalypse changed the rules of the game and any ally might as well be a friend, I suppose. We definitely weren't in the habit of hanging out though, other than him and ... Jack, keeping me company during runs, over the radio. Or with company around.

Doesn't mean I don't care about them. I do. Care about them and god, had I been glad to find Eugene still alive. Without Jack though... Eugene had been so... utterly broken.

Not that there is a lot I could do. I doubt he was begging for a hug. Not from me anyway. And besides, I wasn't exactly known for being talkative.

Maybe that was exactly what he needed though.

I took one of the turns to bring him a mystery can. Usually those would only be distributed to those in the kitchen or the hospital, those on watch duty and those who couldn't get it themselves, but really, we weren't that heartless. We understood that he wouldn't be up to facing the rest of us right now. But we at least had to try and offer some of the already meagre rations. Even if he refused to eat.

I found him on the cot that he and Jack shared from time to time. Even though they each had one of their own. The covers of both beds lay underneath Eugene's curled up form.

I dropped the sheet that separated the tent into smaller 'rooms', the thin partitions hanging on wires with simple clothespins, and made my way over to him. Quiet, but with clear footsteps so as not to startle him since the last thing I wanted was to be struck with a crutch. Or worse.

He didn't move. Maybe he was sleeping.

I doubt he did.

The mystery can, still warm from when they heated it up a little while ago, knocked against his shoulder by way of greeting. He pulled his shoulders up. Shrugging me off. Probably hoping I'd leave. Which is exactly why I didn't.

I set the can down on Jack's cot- or was it Eugene's? Was he the type to search out every last bit of scent that still clung to pillows and shirts?

I shook my head. It was really none of my business how Eugene coped. I probably would have done the same if ...

I didn't leave. Instead I took a step back and settled down on the ground, against the empty cot. The rustle of clothes, the lack of footsteps away from his bed should peak his curiosity. And it did. Eventually.

He shifted, rolled, and in the dark of the tent it was hard to make out exactly how bad the bags under his eyes were, but there was no doubt about them being there. The Doc was right to worry.

His gaze went from me to the can in my hands and then to the one on the cot. His very own body betrayed him, the growling audible. Yet he was slow to accept the offer when I picked up the other can again and held both of them out. Pick your poison, I meant to say, the offer clear enough.

He struggled up to a seating position and took one of the cans.

I opened mine. Beans in tomato sauce. Not bad.

Eugene took longer opening his. And wasn't so lucky, but his face betrayed nothing. He poked at the corn with a spoon.

I offered mine, but he dismissed it.

"You don't-" his voice was hoarse. Either from disuse or from crying. He wasn't to blame, but it bothered him and he cleared his throat. "I'm fine, Five. Just tired. You can tell Maxine I don't need a babysitter."

I cocked an eyebrow. Then simply just focused on my own meal.

"I don't."

I pulled my phone from my pocket. The screen was cracked, but it still functioned and with the extra solar charger I had picked up a while ago I could spare the battery.

'Not babysitting.' I turned the screen to him, allowing him to read.

He watched me.

'I'm not. Call it fleeing. Janine was looking for me earlier today.'

"She knows where you are."

I shrugged and offered a smile.

"Heh," he responded, the minute sound sounding somewhat like a laugh, and maybe I had imagined it, but there might have flickered the ghost of a smile on his face.

We sat like that for a while. Just companionable silence between people that didn't feel like talking, but judging from the moments in which he'd open his mouth as if to speak but closed it again a second later, I guessed he appreciated the company.

At one point he'd frowned, stopped poking at the mess in the can and finally did find the words that went with the idea of speaking. "He'd just-..." and under the lost voice hid an edge of anger. "Stupid. Jack- If he'd just- If I-..." He trailed off again and I kept silent. No expectation, no pressure, not even a stare. He'd get there in his own time if he wanted it out.

He didn't.

I had gathered up the empty cans and spoons when I was done and had no more excuse to stay. Eugene had handed me the can, but otherwise kept staring at his lap.

I had made to leave.

Before I could, though, Eugene piped up. "Five," I had stopped to look at him. "Thanks," he had said.

I'd left him after that. It wasn't long after that that he started running us ragged on search and rescue missions. I didn't mind. If there was any chance at all that we could find our friends then why wouldn't we? I even volunteered for some of the runs. Everything was better after running for New Canton, really. Playing life bait was not my favourite type of exercise. But the search and rescue missions? Those at least had a true purpose.

#the mute runner #fic #fanfic #zombies run fanfic #zombies run #zombies run!#zr!#zr #zrs2 spoilers #Eugene #Runner 5 #Jack #bonding #season 2 radio abel #radio boyfriends #sad

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justabookworm39 · 8 years ago

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Awake and Alive (ZR fanfic)

Fandom: Zombies, Run! (a really cool audioplay-type app that I highly recommend.)

Summery:

“I’m at war with the world and they Try to pull me into the dark. I struggle to find my faith As I’m slipping from your arms.”

They’d made it this far. Together. And somehow, even a bloody rocket launcher wasn’t enough to take him away.

Rating: T for language and zombies. Mild content warning for vague mentions of disability and homophobia.

Ships: Jack/Eugene, platonic Sam/Eugene.

Notes: Based on the fact that Skillet’s ‘Awake and Alive’ was the song playing when the last clip of Season 2, Episode 5 (’Ghosts’) started. And with that, an OTP is born.

I haven’t played past that episode yet, and with my free account, I can’t unlock it for a few days now, so this is just guesswork/leaving what happened open-ended. (Also, it sounds like their relationship got confirmed in one of the Season One radio clips before it got brought up here, BUT I hadn’t heard that clip so this was a surprise to me.) Buuuut Valentine’s Day is here, so have something for my new ship!

(I finished this late last night, and I wasn’t gonna wait ‘til tomorrow to post this!)

(Spoilers for the end of Season 1/start of Season 2, as well as the episode this based on!)

AO3 link: To be added later!

“‘Gene? You alright?”

“Huh?” Eugene looked up from the desk, watching as Sam sat down next to him. “Oh, yeah, fine.” He felt his head droop-well, not fine, but he wasn’t letting Sam know that.

“Eugene.” He felt a hand rest on the top of his head and push his head up. With a groan, he let Sam turn him so the two were facing each other. “You need to go to sleep.”

That perked Eugene up. “What? no, I’m fine. Could stay up all night!” He swiped a stray piece of hair from his face and grinned.

“...Why?”

His grin faltered. “What?”

Sam crossed his arms and stared at his friend. “Why the bloody hell would you be saying up tonight? We don’t have any runners in the field-well, save for Five and Three, but they’re somewhere safe themselves, so that doesn’t really count. What are you doing up here?”

“Oh... Oh! Well, you know...” Eugene waved his hand in a gesture that was probably supposed to mean something, but that meaning was lost on Sam. “Just in case- we get a distress signal or something! In case, I don’t know, the folks they’re staying with turn out to be-zombies in disguise!” The radio host slapped a hand on the table with a smile, seemingly proud of his reasoning.

Sam, meanwhile, stared at him like he’d just flew in from Mars. “...That is the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“...Yeah, thought so.” Eugene sighed, dropping his head to the desk and placing his arms over it. “I‘m just... I’m worried about him.”

Sam didn’t have to ask who he was talking about. He placed a hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “Hey, I get it. I mean, not the same way, but it’s not like I do great whenever one of the runners is out late.” He paused-no, really, considering how long Jack had been gone, and how much ‘Gene missed him, it wasn’t really all that similar-then said, look, just keep some rest, alright? I’ll make sure to get you when they show up tomorrow, how does that sound?”

Eugene was quiet for a moment (Sam thought he might’ve actually fallen asleep), but finally spoke up. “Do you think I could’ve helped him?” Before Sam could answer, Eugene barrled on, “He left because everything was coming down-couldn’t I have somewhere for us to hide until help came? Or maybe I shouldn’t went with him-I should’ve been there to help him!”

“‘Gene-” Sam started, but he was cut off.

“He nearly died, for God’s sake! Why wasn’t I there to back him up?” He glared at the crutch leaned against the desk and grabbed it. “Not like I’d have been any help, though, what with this!” On the last word, he tossed the crutch across the room, where it clattered to the floor. Eugene took a deep breath, then his shoulders slumped, as though somebody had taken all the air out of him.

“Hey, c’mon now.” He felt a squeeze on his shoulder, and turned to face Sam, who looked at him with misty eyes and furrowed brows. “Don’t blame yourself. By the sound, he saved a bunch of peoples’ lives-I think he had it under control.” Sam pulled his friend close, guiding Eugene’s head to rest on his shoulder. “There was nothing you coulda done... Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“I know.” Eugene sighed, grabbing a handful of Sam’s hoodie. “It’s just... I was so scared. Dammit, I love him.” He didn’t often say that-even when they were in private-but he couldn’t stop himself. Ah, well, Sam hardly seemed like the judgemental type, right? He was half-sure Sam knew already, anyway.

Sam was quiet for a moment, then said, “Hey, uh, the Major was making me take a nap while you and the New Canton operator-Amber, was it?-while you two were working with Five and Three, so, if it makes you feel better, I’ll stay in here for a bit, in case they call. How’s that sound?”

Eugene looked up. “Hey, you don’t have to do that... I’m just being paranoid, y’know?”

“Mm, maybe, but if it’ll make you feel better, I don’t mind.” Sam stood up and went to pick up Eugene’s crutch, adding, “You two are my friends, duh! If I have to stay up all night to help you out, well, I’ll grab a pot of coffee and a jar of Marmite and have at it!” He chuckled, then cleared his throat. “Uh, to be honest, I’m not sure how much... ‘staying up all night’ I’ll be doing, but I’ll be sure to wake up if anything happens, alright?” He held out the crutch to Eugene, who took it gratefully.

“Thanks.” Sam offered a hand up, and Eugene took it, grunting as he stood up. He tucked the crutch under his arm, walking with Sam down the hall.

The two were quiet, then Sam said, “Actually... not sure if I heard you right back there, but, uh, honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if you and Jack were... y’know, an item.”

Eugene chuckled. “Yeah, we’re not exactly subtle, are we?” He glanced at the floor, then looked up. “Yeah, we got together not long before we got here.” He paused as Sam sped up to push the door open. “Thanks.”

“Ah, no problem! Whatever makes things easier for my on-the-verge-of-passing-out-because-he-won't-go-to-bed friend!” He laughed to himself, trailing off when he saw Eugene glaring at him. “Ehhh... sorry.”

“Don’t worry.” Eugene playfully elbowed Sam as he went by, and the two continued on the way to the rows of tents being used as housing. Eugene paused by his own tent, then turned to Sam. “You really don’t have to stay up-”

“I told you, I’m probably not even gonna be awake most of the time!” Sam gently shoved Eugene in the back, towards his tent. “Now, go to sleep. You’ve earned it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” With a smile, Eugene turned to Sam. “’Night, Sam.”

“Goodnight, ‘Gene.” Before leaving, he added, “Don’t worry, they’ll be back safe.”

“Yeah... I hope so.”

“I know so, ‘Gene.”

“Pass me over to him right now, Simon! Oh, God, I can not believe-”

“Alright, ‘Gene, long time no-”

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Ow! Hey, ow, stop, stop, OK?”

“What happened?! Jack, I thought you were dead!”

“Wait. You thought I was what?!”

“Yes!” Tears pouring down his face. Amber had the courtesy to switch the two over to a private channel.

“But, they said... They said they contacted Abel and told you guys I was fine!”

“Well, we didn’t hear anything!”

“But- that doesn’t make any sense! Something must be wrong-”

“I’ll say!”

“Hey, hey, calm down, Eugene. I’m alright, got it?”

A moment to breath. Oh, God, he was okay. He was safe and unbitten and oh god oh god- “Jack... I-I was so scared...”

He could hear a deep breath on the other side. “...I’m so sorry, ‘Gene... I didn’t mean to worry you like that, I swear- I just-”

“I know you didn’t mean to, idiot.” He caught himself laughing. “I just want you back home.”

“Yeah... I missed you.”

“You too, babe.”

“Eugene. Euuuugeeene...”

“Mph.” Eugene rolled over, looking up at Sam. “What’re you doing?”

“Eugene. Get up.” Sam was bouncing back and forth on his heels, a big grin on his face.

“Why?”

“Well, first off, it’s almost past lunchtime, and I’m not letting you sleep forever. Though I do understand how that sounds tempting. Second off, guess who’s baaaack?”

Eugene sat bolt upright. “they’re here? Now? Why didn’t you get me sooner?!” He tried to scramble to his feet, and Sam grabbed his hands to help him up.

“Heeey, calm down, calm down. They’re not here yet, buuut I thought you’d want to meet them at the gates!”

“Damn right I want to meet them at the gates!” Eugene grabbed his crutch, only to drop it in his haste. “Crap-Sam, help me out! Please, I have to-”

“Alright, it’s alright.” Sam picked up his friend’s crutch, handing it back. “I know, I’m going.” He draped Eugene’s free arm over his shoulder, then muttered, “You really want to see him, don’t you?”

Eugene stared at the ground, taking a deep breath. “I was so worried...”

“I know, I know. I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous ‘bout the runners out there. Don’t worry; aside from a few cuts and scrapes, everyone’s unharmed.” Sam grinned as he helped Eugene out, saying, “Now, c’mon, ‘Gene. Don’t want to leave them waiting!”

#jack holden #eugene woods #shipping #jack/eugene #eugene/jack #radio boyfriends #THAT'S the ship name!#zr #zombies run!#zombies run #zr season 2 #zr spoilers #zombies run spoilers #fanfic #fanfiction #my writing

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celtfather · 5 years ago

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St Patrick's Day and Month

Greetings Gunn Runner

And farewell February. Things might've run a little behind. But I made big progress this month. Especially with the release of my Kickstarter for Selcouth. I conquered my $5000 goal just a few days after it launched. It still has two weeks to go. So I'm feeling pretty good about it so far. But before we talk more about that, let's talk about...

Show #259

0:40 - PODCASTS

The Pub Songs Podcast is back with a vengeance. I am a podcaster at heart. I figured it'd be fairly easy to knock out completely live episodes of the Pub Songs Podcast to my Kickstarter every week. And I was correct. I recorded four new episodes so far. Which is good because in addition to promoting the podcast, it also allows me to keep to my initial schedule of how many episodes I want to release this year.

Plus, I love the format. I'm fine tuning it still. But it starts with a song. I go into some news, add a stories from the road, and a couple more songs. It feels good. Like something I COULD keep up every week. Though I don't plan to at present.

Stories from the Road is not getting ahead. But I have a lot of new content. So I'm staying on top of it. That's good because this is my Patron-only podcast.

I got ahead for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But I already feel like I'm losing that lead I got. I want to try and knock out a bunch of summer episodes. But I'm stalling for St Patrick's Day. Sooooo we shall see. The In the ‘Verse podcast is coming. I apologize for the delay. But it's been crazy.

Course, that doesn't mean I didn't go ahead and setup the Cat Music Lovers podcast. The first podcast I ever published was the Cat Lovers Podcast. I created it to promote my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. But I ran out of time and had less interest in keeping it going. But I was still proud of that show. I was happy it was still available. Until I realized it was No Longer available. So I did a bunch of maintenance on the show. It should be back up on Apple Podcasts soon.

2:54 - VIDEOS

My voice is back. Which means Coffee with the Celtfather is back as well. I feel like I've had some good shows. Though the attendance still seems a little lower than I'd like. Maybe I need to promote the show more.

That said, I am posting new videos on YouTube. And I'm working on a new strategy for the site.

My views have dropped dramatically since I deleted all of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast videos. Now each video I post gets about 50 views. That's not too good. But it allows me to start over and decide what this channel will be.

So what will it be?

Family videos set to my music. I like doing videos of my family. It's extra cool when I can add in my own music to spice up the video. I haven't figured out how to name the videos yet. But these videos help me learn a lot about shooting and editing videos.

I have a new one featuring Inara. We went for a hike the other day. It was't too bad a video. My editing still needs work though

Travel videos. I recorded a lot of video these past couple o'years going on my Celtic Invasion Vacations. These are a great way to promote my trips. So I'm gonna keep editing these videos.

The sucky thing is that as I edit them, I realize I should've done this or that... Like in the latest video from The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye. I did a poor job filming. But there was enough footage that it's not too bad.

Song Performance videos. I thought I had recorded a lot of these videos. After reviewing my site, I realize I haven't. So I'm gonna keep recording me singing individual songs.

This is a great way to attract new followers of my site. So hopefully, you'll see more.

Celtic Geek Thoughts. I'm not yet sure how to do these videos or what content to put on them, aside from the Celtic Top 40 videos I wanna do. But I'll have to tell you when I figure that out.

10:26 - MERCH

My free CD offer went over GREAT last month. If you ever want to find out how many of your fans listen to physical CDs. Give one away. LOL. I had over a hundred that went out into the world. And of course, all you have to do is pay the shipping cost. You'll find a link in the shownotes if you want one.

Again the Kickstarter for Selcouth is going great. I'm $700 over my initial goal. Yes. My actual goal is to earn $7500. But at least my base expenses are covered. I CAN create a new CD. And I still have two weeks to go to hit my first stretch goal.

I ran into one interesting problem as the goal has started to stall out. That is, how do I keep up momentum. Seems like every time I post something fun or interesting, I get a spike. But I'm not the best storyteller I think. So that's making it tough.

I discussed this challenge with Andrew. He suggested that I bring people in on video to chat about it. I'm gonna try and do that the next couple o'weeks. Stay tuned...

12:06 - TRAVEL

The Celtic Invasion of Venice closed up. We have a very small group this year. And I can start planning for Scotland in 2021. But I'm excited to see what happens next...

12:56 - WEBSITES

With St Patrick's Day just around the corner, I started updating my Irish Song Lyrics website. I started this site years ago to promote my Celtic songs. Admittedly, I've done little with it the past few years, Except around St Patrick's Day.

But I decided to update it for two reasons. One, it's that time of year. And two because I want to get back to helping people learn these songs.

You see, the reason I started the site was to offer an incredible resource. How to play songs the way I learn them, by ear. There are just lyrics, chords, and music to listen to on the site. You can play along with me over and over again if you so desire. This makes it a lot easier.

I'm also trying to make it entirely about the user. I removed much of the advertising that was on the website. Now it's just the stuff you really want. It's an amazing, free resource. So go along with me.

14:15 - PROMOTION

I also had a new promotion idea I thought up recently using Facebook groups... Well, actually any online community.

I have two groups that I actively share to on Facebook: Celtic Geeks and Irish & Celtic Music Club. Most everything really goes to the Celtic Geeks group. If I find something I love, unless it's hardcore Celtic, I share it to the Celtic Geeks group.

That makes it easy. I don't use my personal profile. I share to an interactive community. It's awesome.

And that's the tip I came up with.

Instead of trying to share my music to your friends who may or may not share you interests, share to a group, where your interests definitely align.

I haven't seen many Gunn Runners doing that yet, well aside from Sarah, who sort of inspired this idea when she shared Selcouth to a Firefly fan group.

16:04 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR MARCH

I updated the gig calendar on my website. I'm using Google Calendars again. This is going GREAT for listing shows. You can see everywhere I'll be this year. And yes, it is fully up-to-date.

MAR 7: The Lost Druid, Decatur, GA @ 7:30 PM MAR 12: St Patrick's Day Internet Concert on YouTube @ 8:30 PM MAR 13: Interstellar Ginger Beer & Exploration Co, Alabaster, AL MAR 14: St Patrick’s Day at 5 Points, Birmingham, AL MAR 20-22: ConCoction, Cleveland, Ohio MAR 26: Tucker Brewing Company, Tucker, GA @ 6:30 PM

APR 4-5: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 9: Internet Concert on YouTube @ 8:30 PM APR 11-12: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 17-19: JordanCon, Atlanta, GA Weds 10:30 AM EDT: Coffee with The Celtfather, Facebook (Season 5!)

17:24 - STATS

Mailing list subscribers = 1038 is up from 1024 Celtic Music Magazine = 3963 is up from 3859 at the beginning of the year

YouTube Subscribers = 4441 is up 53 from 4388 YouTube Watch Time = 314.8K is up from 19.0K and 32.1K min from the month before YouTube Views = 8.5K is down from 8.8K

Facebook Likes = 3667 is up from 3666 FB Page Views = 501 is up from 392 FB Reach = 9214 is up from 8839 FB Video Views = 9485 is up from 8466

Spotify Latest Single Stats: "Slainte Mhaith Christmas": 3347 is up from 3310 is up from 3238 Spotify Latest Single Stats: "The Last Jedi Drinking Song": 832 is up from 696 Spotify Latest Album Stats: I Will Not Sing Along: 1.4k streams, "One Note Concerto in G" has the most streams

Spotify followers: 1476 is up 31 from 1445 # Number of listens on Spotify: 3266 is up from 2224 Most-popular songs on Spotify: Wild Kitty (1.6K), The Widow and the Devil (1.2K), Doctor of Gallifrey (567), When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling (331), Furagone's Wake (320), Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster (289), Reavers, Malcolm Reavers (264), Hero of Canton (224) Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits (162)

Top Irish & Celtic Music: 431 is up from 426 Firefly Drinking Songs: 103 is up from 101

PATREON

Patreon Subscribers: 155 is up from 151 Patreon Monthly Income: $1050 is up from $977

Thanks as always for supporting my music. Remember. You can help me create and release more music. Join the Gunn Runners Club to step behind-the-scenes with bonus podcasts, new music, videos, and live concerts. Slainte!

#CFMonthly

Check out this episode!

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crazyspookies · 6 years ago

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S7M12-14

This and the next recap have been sitting in my drafts for a while so here yall gogogogogo!!

M12-13

1) "Yes. I admit, I’ve come to find a strange comfort in Mr. Yao’s perplexing digressions.” :’)

2) Since this valley is cut off from outside communications, their ANNIE has not been in touch with the other parts since before the apocalypse.

3) “MAXINE MYERS: Well, we have a gun”

4) “I was trouble when I was a teenager. Maybe she’ll be like me.” I sincerely believe that little sarah will be a force to be reckoned with and no one can change my mind

5) “We’re going to light up the night” oh man i started playing this in the middle of the day and never got the memo this was at night??? I would have imagined this mission SO differently

6) “whatever’s attacking us here, it’s not just V-types or ordinary zoms. I think it’s something new.” WLL AS IF WE DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH THINGS TO BE TROUBLED ABOUT

7) “One just bit a corpse! Oh God, that is so revolting. That can’t be right. The corpse is moving, and it has… yellow eyes.” Ohhhhhhhhh well now THAT’S what happens when they bite corpses!! Gosh i had been worried that they became v-types too, even if this is not ideal either. The question is, if you kill a ghoul and a v-type bites it again, what happens. Does it reanimate again?? because if so, we still have a problem.

8) “like it could tell you were hurt.” these v-types are v-smart (hehe) and i don’t like it no sir

9) I keep thinking about the nature of the v-types. Weren’t they the original viking zombies? One would think that the blue flowers, white spores, and grial blood we found would lay some light on how they originally went to sleep??

10) “And all my kids got out.”

M14

1) “Shower rota time is less than five minutes now.” we’re getting REALLY cramped aren’t we, just like old times. No one’s said this yet by the way what’s up with that s2s. Also, it’s been a while since we’ve heard the raising the gates with the alarm too. How about, yakno, doing that again some time, maybe? pretty please?

2) Just so you know i downlaoded so many fury road for this and next missions and i actually drove through most of this one with my phone under my legs. Also this song came in and i never felt more powerful driving home with the unforgiving smoldering sun of an agust afternoon heating up the scene.

youtube

3) “ A mobile resettlement colony. It travels the country collecting people from one township and reuniting them with friends and family in another, colloquially known as The Long Way Home.” This is such a cool idea actually???

4) “PETER LYNNE: [under his breath] Oh, can you just fry him in butter and serve him with gnocchi?”

Peter please don’t be such bitter baby omg

5) ”I have splatted myself on the windshield like some sort of giant immortal fly. “ I M DYING

6) “ This is all rather seat-of-the-pants, I must say. “ “Horrifies me, too, Colonel, but they seem to work best that way.” One the one hand: our daily bread for abel runners is going out there and doing terribly perilious things. Like, runners from other tonwships know that if theres an abel runner around, especial certain especific numbers, it's best to leave the area cos those bitches come with bad news. On the other hand, Peter/Five Horror-Typhoon Combo Team.

7) “ my very clear instruction to do something brave/heroic” We got chu babe no worries ✨👌

8) “ and your runners have overcome overwhelming odds despite their unorthodox methods, or perhaps because of them.”

This comment didn’t even compute at all in my mind when i first heard it and then i read it in the transcript blog (thank u so much @siriusmistake u save my life errytime). BUT i AM thinking about it now and it just baffles me to my core.

Are we...weird???? What exacly about jumping on top of rigs and figthing cannibals and planting tracking devices and ziplining off of rigs is unorthodox.

I know, i know, this sounds sarcastic, but actually? i’m not quite sure what or how other townships/communities operate? At all? I can’t imagine they all have security teams or are really prepared to take on the kind of dangers we do. And we seem to always be with its feet firmly and deeply planted in some serious shit, and actively fighting back really dangerous situations of epic proportions. We have become so accustomed to violence and all types of perilious missions that we have forgotten this isn’t always part of the job in other places. And i feel like, fairly often, bigger townships like Abel and Fort Canton (if it’s convenient) end up giving help to other territories. Like, i imagine most runners at abel township and other places do...other stuff?? More like when we started. Still dangerous, but not the kind of things that “The Elite”, so to speak, do. It kinda reminds me how once steve referred to runnner five as “our best operative”. Because we are still called “runners” but...yeah, that’s not really what the job used to be anymore.

Also, maybe we are unorthodox because peter and five are the horror team of the month in my head and they have a very chaotic way of dealing with circumstances rather than going with whatever very scrupulous protocol janine or any other normal person has planned, yakno how it is

#zombies run #zrs7 spoilers #fennel's zr recaps #i mean #to be fair to peter #five is a chaos magnet and nothing ever goes as planned with them #but i can headcanon whatever i want thor!!!

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zombierunfiction · 7 years ago

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Season 2 Halloween Missions 1, 2, 3: Living Dead Girl, Horseplay, Wai Chu Xiao Xin

Inside New Canton, the Halloween party was starting to wind down. Maxine had won the costume contest with her costume of Major De Santa, whom proudly saluted the doctor when presenting the button that was made by the children. Out of the people who entered the bobbing for apples there was a tie between Nadia and Jody who both took home the prize for the event. The food was gone leaving Charlotte and Eugene to clean up the mess. Charlotte's southern belle dress was a hit but she had trouble sitting down due to the chicken wire she used for the bell skirt. Eugene had joked that he could hide under there and no one would find him. To which Sam gave him a glare and threatened to pie him in the face with a pumpkin pie. Sam had dressed up as a sterotypical vampire with his normally loose hair combed back.

After getting the tables cleaned up Eugene who had on a loose hawaiian shirt and big glasses got up on his crutches. "Mind if I crash for the night? I know that it's going to be a long walk to Abel in the morning."

"Yeah sure. Do you need help?" Charlotte asked as she wiped her hands on her rag dress.

"Na I got it. Besides I think someone is about to fall asleep on his feet over there." Eugene pointed towrads Sam who was sitting in his chair by the bobbing event almost asleep already.

Charlotte laughed then rubbed Eugene's back. "Alright you get some sleep." She said before walking over to Sam and leading him towards his room. Jody walked over in a sports bra with a large black 5 written on her chest and on the tag on the back of her. Her hair was in pigtails as she let out a yawn. Eugene still wasn't sure what she dressed up as but it didn't really matter.

Nothing really mattered to Eugene anymore.

Not without Jack.

He limpped to his little room where he laid down and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Next time he opened his eyes, he was in the radio com shack with Jack next to him and Charlotte in there with them. "What if it's true?" He said rather excitably.

"I thought you were the sensible one. It's a myth!" Jack said seemingly put off.

"Just like, for instance, zombies?" Eugene supplied.

Jack sighed heavily running a hand through his red hair. "Zombies are science. Now, how does this -" He stopped then looked up at Charlotte. "Now... Charlotte we've got an important mission."

"And you're almos tthe only runner who will listen to us." Eugene said seriously.

Jack reaches into an envelope pulling out a small silver key. "Here. Take this and make sure your fast."

"Not a problem." Charlotte said taking the key and putting it in her pocket. "Why isn't Sam here?" She asked.

"We don't want to get caught doing this, and we're zombie chow if we do get caught." Eugene said seriously.

"Well, yeah, there's that." Jack said as Charlotte left the shack and put on her headset.

"Raise the gates!" Eugene said as the gates lifted. "Covering fire!" He said as the snipers took out a few of the zombies. "Runner Five, go!"

Charlotte took off quickly as Jack snickered. "Tell me you did not love doing that." Jack said laughing at one point.

"I didn't love doing that." Eugene said plainly.

"Liar!" Jack called laughing.

"Five, you're heading for the southwest edge of the city." Eugene said getting back on topic.

"And you're going to rescue one of the great lost artifacts of civilization." Jack said grinning.

"Shouldn't we find out if, you know, there are any zoms out there?" Eugene asks.

Jack was quiet for a moment. "Someone would have mentioned it." Eugene sighs heavily as Charlotte just ran.

After a while Eugene whistled slightly. "Wow, Runner Five is fast!"

"Look, five, bear right on wichihill Lane." Jack said as Charlotte followed his direction. "Uh, you'll see a gravel driver on your left and a sign for one of those self storage complexes."

Charlotte looked over seeing the white and black building with a gate in front. "So this is where I'm supposed to go?"

"Yep that key will open the padlock on Unit 123." Eugene said as Charlotte shrugged continuing to run.

"Which was last rented by infamous record producer Barry Jefferson." Jack said seriously.

"Imfamous for stealing master copies of songs and selling them to collectors." Eugene said as Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like someone I went to high school with. Used to do that whole Napster thing... or was it Limewire..." Charlotte asked herself.

"Now, in that storage unit is his biggest score - the last unfinished recording by the greatest band in the history of pop music!" Jack said excitably.

"Uh Jack?" Eugene started.

"Of ccourse the band is-"

"Jack, isn't that-?" Eugene tried again.

Jack stopped for a moment. "That's... that's..."

"Runner Five, three-no, four!- zoms on the north and closing!" Eugene said as Charlotte looked over seeing them heading right for her. She sped up away from them as fast as she could.

"Oh god, Five, I am so sorry about this!" Jack apologised.

"The storage complex is fenced, that might hold them off. Run, run!" Eugene said as Charlotte booked it towards the fence. She quickly climbed the fence and dropped over the otherside only to over step the landing and fall onto her backside in the dirt.

"Ow... shit... So much for a graceful landing." Charlotte said as the zoms hit the fence trying to reach for her. She got up quickly backing up away from them.

"Good, uh, okay. Good, the fence will stop them." Jack said breathing slowly.

"For a few minutes. Jack, we are going to test this thing before we play it, right? You know about the-" Eugene was cut off by Jack.

"Yeah yeah yeah, of course! I'm not going to-" Jack stops when banging is heard over the head set.

"Who's in there? And why is this locked?" The voice asked muffled.

"Oh." Eugene said.

"Ah, uh..." Jack stuttered before the door burst open and Janine is heard.

"What the-? Oh, no, not you lot!" Janine said walking over.

"Um. Hi, Janine!" Eugene said trying to sound innocent.

"What-? That's Runner Five!" Janine stated as Charlotte started to run towards the units.

"Hi Janine." Charlotte said.

"Look, we can explain!" Jack said quickly.

"You've sent a runner into danger without authorization?" Janine snapped.

"Yeah, on a crucial mission!" Jack explained.

Janine sighed heavily. "You lunatics."

"It's my fault, blame me." Eugene said as Janine took a seat.

"No it was not. It was my idea." Jack said back.

"I was the one who told them to raise the gate!" Eugene countered.

"You loved it!" Jack stated.

"Later!" Janine snapped. "First, we have to get Runner Five back home. Right now!"

There was a moment of silence. "But we're uards away from the only known copy of the last studio recording by Gina and the Jumpers!" Jack stressed as silence again filled the headset.

"The last one? The real last one?" Janine clarified.

"Yeah, that's right..." Jack said slowly.

"The one with all the instruments recorded but no vocals?" Janine asked seriously.

"Because Gina had just died in a wreck on the M4, but the band didn't know it yet." Eugene said excitably.

"Except when they played it back and they could hear Gina singing. I wore black to school every day for a month." Janine said sadly.

"You, too?" Jack asked.

"Drove my mum absolutely screaming." Janine said with a small laugh.

Charlotte shook her head. "I seem to be the only one in this conversation who has no idea who this Gina is but if this recording is that important then I guess I'll find that unit. 123 right?"

"Yes. Unit 123." Eugene confirmed. "Runner Five, we can't track you when you're inside the storage complex."

Janine scoffed. "Of course we can. those things all have CCTV, and the passwords are hardly state of the art." She says as she is heard typing. "Let's just hope their back up generators are still... yes! Got the cameras working."

Charlotte waved at the camera running down the cemet road looking at the numbers on the unit. "Jack, maybe we should metnion this thing about the recording, now?" Eugene stressed.

"Not now, Mr. Woods! Don't faff about, Runner Five. Find that unit." Janine said as Charlotte continued to look around the complex. "There, see? Good image, too."

"What's that, at the corner?" Jack asked.

"The zoms are though the fence!" Eugene said quickly.

"No, it's-" Janine said as an older woman with salt and pepper hair with a shirt on that had the grinning face of a girl wearing some sexy outfit.

"You!" The woman calls to Charlotte making her stop in the row looking at her. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" She asked with an accent that was more Irish than British.

"She's definitely alive." Jack said.

"She's got bolt cutters." Charlotte breathes slowly walking over.

The woman sighed dramaticly. "Oh, tell me you're not here for that recording. I've been after it for months. Are you from those Abel Radio idiots? Sounds like something you buy at an electrical shop." The woman said sarcasticly.

"Hey!" Eugene called.

Charlotte glared at her. "First off how about we ask names?" She snapped.

"Lola." She replied.

"Charlotte."

"Now tell her to sod off Five. We got to it first!" Janine said.

"Yeah!" Jack agreed.

"You have no idea what I've gone through to find this recording Charlotte. Nothing's going to stop me." Lola said putting the bolt cutters on her shoulder.

"Apart from those zombies? You all have to move, now. Head for the building on the far side." Janine said as Charlotte looked back seeing zombies heading towards them. She ran towards Lola grabbing her arm speeding towards the building. Once they were near the building, they came up to the 100 units.

"It's this door." Lola said as they could still hear the zombies coming. "Here it is, Unit 123. I've been Gina and the Jumpers' biggest fan for years - decades. This is the most - this is what I've waited for! You're - do you know anything about them at all?" Lola said somewhat snidely.

"Not really. Never heard of them before today to be quite honest." Charlotte said shrugging.

"Do you know about the secret gig in the Parisian crypt?" Lola asked.

"Uh, I do, actually." Janine said. "Ask her if she knows about the legend that Gina's tattoos were actually symbols of her pact with-"

"I couldn't believe it when I heard these jokers on Abel Radio talking about this record. It's meant for the ears of the REAL fans." Lola stressed the term real making Charlotte raise an eyebrow. "I'm going to play it on my own radio station, actually. Just broadcast this one song, day and night."

Janine scoffs. "Real fans. Bet she doesn't even know about the tattoos." She says to herself.

"Amateurs! How do you even plan to get into this storage unit, Charlotte? You think I'm going to let you borrow my tools?" Lola snidly states.

"Lady, you are owned!" Eugene said as Charlotte pulled out the keys that Eugene and Jack gave her.

Lola's eyes went as wide as the moon. "Where did you get a key?"

Jack clears his throat. "Never mind. Just get in, and grab the recording."

"What's to stop Miss Bolt Cutters from doing the same?" Janine questions.

"You know, I really think we need to warn Runner Five about the other thing, the legend about the recording?" Eugene stresses as Charlotte unlocked the pad lock then rolled the door open.

"Moment of truth, Charlotte. How badly do you want Gina's last song?" Lola asked.

"Five, the zoms are pulling down the gate. Hurry!" Janine said as Charlotte and Lola began to go through the storage unit.

"There it is! The red box!" Jack said as Charlotte grabbed the black steel plated box with a bright yellow sticker on it.

"It's marked 'Danger: Do Not Open'." Charlotte said as Lola suddenly bull rushed her.

"Not! It's mine!" Lola screamed grabbing the box trying to pry it out of Charlotte's hands.

"Let... go!" Charlotte struggled before Lola slammed her fist into Charlotte's cheek knocking her back into the boxes. She took off with the box quickly.

"Five! Did you see that!? She hit Runner Five!" Jack shouted as Charlotte got up wiping her face of the blood on her lip taking off after her. "And she's... Is she chaining that connecting gate!"

Sure enough Lola was throwing a set of chains around the outside emergency gate to there section leading to the front.

"It's alright, you'll have to head out the other way, Five. Emergency exit on the other side of the block. If you hurry, you'll catch her." Janine said as Charlotte took off.

"This bitch is mine." Charlotte growled as Lola started to head towards the gate.

"Runner Five, are you alright?" Jack asked.

"I will be once I pound this music bitch into mulch." Charlotte said as she rounded the gate avoiding the zombies who were heading away from them.

"There! There she is! Get her, Charlotte! Tackle her to the ground!" Janine all but growled as Charlotte tacked Lola to the ground trying to get the box away from her.

Lola growled kicking Charlotte away from her as she closed a CD player. "You're too late. I've put it into my player. I am going to be the first person to hear the last recording!"

"No! Runner Five, don't let her play that!" Eugene calls as Charlotte saw Lola push the play button.

Both girls stood there as Lola's face broke into a smile. "It is! It is! I hear her! I hear Gina!"

"The zoms are through the last gate, Five. Get out. Grab her, get out!" Janine said fast.

"Let's go Lola!" Charlotte said as she grabbed her arm only for Lola to fight her and drop her CD player cracking it.

"Too bad for you, Charlotte. You're going to have to let me go, and I have the-" Lola looks at her CD player when she picked it up. "Ugh! Why won't this stupid thing shut off?" She tried to push the stop button.

Charlotte looked at it seeing the screen was blank. "It is off. More than off. It's smashed." She said softly. Suddenly Charlotte began to hear a whispy voice coming from the air.

"The song... it's in my head!" Lola covers her ears. "So loud!" She yells out as Charlotte looks at her in horror as Jack spoke.

"Runner five, you're cut off. Eight zoms between you and the gate."

"There's a back service access. Five, turn right at the end of the row. Hurry!" Janine said.

"But try to take her with you! Drag her if you have to!" Jack said as Charlotte dragged Lola with her as she continued to scream holding her ears.

"It's too late..." Eugene breathed.

"Make it stop! Gina! Stop!" Lola shrieked as Lola fell to the ground blood coming out of her ears.

"Run!" Eugene shouts as Charlotte took off towards the fence where she bounded over it taking off back towards Abel. "That was..."

"Was that blood coming out of her ears?" Jack asked slowly.

"Yeah..." Charlotte breathed.

"That was horrible!" Jack exclaims.

"I don't want to say 'I told you so'..." Eugene started.

"Is that what you were trying to tell me Eugene? That the song is haunted or something?" Charlotte asked.

"There was a rumor that said a cleaning lady listened to it and she was found dead with blood coming out of her ears having broke the stereo she had listened to it on." Euegene said slowly.

"I can't believe you idiots risked Runner Five's life for a song that kills people." Janine said.

"Not that you enabled us or anything like that Janine." Eugene said sarcasticly.

"At least we found out befor eFive brought that thing back here." Janine said.

"Just what we need to brighten up the zombie apocalupse - a haunted death song." Jack said as Eugene blinked hearing something whistling around his head.

"I'm... I'm just glad five's coming home safe. You were great out there, Five." Eugene said as the sound of a woman's voice made Eugene look over at Janine seeing she wasn't saying anything. Horror suddenly filled him as he saw Charlotte stumble and grip her head.

"No... I didn't even... No! Get out!" Charlotte shouted before hitting the ground starting to scream as Eugene began to hear a soft voice beginning to sing getting louder and louder. Eugene held his own head that held his headphones as he screams loud.

Suddenly Eugene sat up in bed gasping for air, sweat rolling down his face. He slowly calmed down looking around finding himself still in New Canton in the dark room.

A dream... or a nightmare. He wasn't sure if he could get back to sleep now.

On the other side of New Canton, Jody flopped onto her bed in the womens dorms groaning softly. She turned over still wearing her costume which was a bright pink sports bra, sweat pants with a rag on her back with a black 5 on it. She turned over taking off the yellow sweat band as she breathed slowly. She heard Nadia and a few others walk in and go to bed as she fell asleep quickly.

When Jody opened her eyes she found herself at the gate of Abel with Charlotte who was in her southern bell dress. Hoop skirt and all. Charlotte adjusted the headset among her curls as Jody gently helped get a pack on.

"This bloody skirt is really annoying. How do you people in the south of america deal with it?" Jody asked laughing.

"Well to be far they don't wear these much anymore. The closest I ever got to this kind of dress my coming out ball." Charlotte said buckling her pack.

"Coming out ball? Like coming out of the closet?" Sam asked in their head set.

Charlotte laughed softly. "No not that kind of coming out. It's more of an introduction kind of party that happens for debutaunts. I was a deb when I was 15. My mother really enjoyed it more than I did."

Jody giggles. "Let me guess you prefered to play in the mud than play tea party?"

"American football actually." Charlotte said.

"Runner Four, Runner Five, ready?" Sam asked.

"We're both ready!" Jody said as they went over to the gate.

"Raise the gates." Sam said as the gates raised up letting Charlotte and Jody take off our of Abel after the snipers took out the few zombies by the gates.

"Sam, are you sure you should be sending us out on a run so late? The sun's nearly set. It'll be dark out here soon." Jody asked.

"Nah, you're only going as far as that old apple orchard halfway between Abel and New Canton. You'll be there and back in no time! And you won't even have to leave the alliance's new secure corridor to do it." Sam said.

"About that corridor, are they really sure it-" Jody asked softly.

"Totally safe." Sam reassured. "I mean, can you believe it? One of the Permanent Advisory Council guys radioed in earlier. He said there hasn't been so much as a single zom spotted inside the perimeter since Tuesday. It's not like New Canton'd send all their children all the way over for trick-or-treating if they though they might get eaten on the way. I mean, they do things a little differently over there, but I don't think - I mean, that seems pretty grim, even for them."

"If you're sure it's safe, I guess it isn't too far to run." Jody said.

"See that's the Halloween spirit!" Charlotte said.

"You'd better pick up the pace. Those New Canton trick-or-treaters are due to be here in about an hour, and if you don't get back before then, you'll miss Tunner Three doing the Monster Mash." Sam said as Charlotte laughed.

"Oh we can't miss that. Simon would never forgive us." Charlotte said as they continued to run. Thankfully the skirt didn't hinder her from running.

"You're making nice time out there, guys. And those costume are - I didn't get a good look at what you were wearing before you left. That's some nice work, Five. It really is amazing what you can do with old rags and some spare chicken wire when you put your mind to it, isn't it?" Sam said.

"What about mine?" Jody asked.

"Well, yours is - um, well, it's nice, too." Sam said.

"You don't know what I am, do you?" Jody questioned.

"No, I do! It's, uh... You're um..." Sam said slowly trying to think.

"I'm Runner Five!" Jody exclaimed happily making Charlotte laughed softly.

"I don't think I dress like that." Charlotte said pointing at the sports bra with the black 5 written on the bra itself.

"Oh! Oh, I can see it, now! That's why you're wearing the-" Sam said before Jody jumpped in.

"Exactly!" Jody said happily.

"And the sports bra! Nice touch! She's really got you there, Five." Sam said.

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Everyone keeps making fun of me because of those things." She smiles as Jody nudges her.

"It's alright we all love you." Jody said.

"Right, the orchard's just coming up on your left just now. Watch your footing, okay. Don't want either of you getting hurt because of some stupid root." Sam chuckled as Charlotte looked around at the large apple trees.

"What are we looking for, Sam?" Jody asked.

"Well, there should be sacks of apples under some of the trees. A field team picked up more than they could carry back this afternoon. They brought enough home with them for the children and for my Bobbing for apples at New Canton, so we didn't worry about getting the rest in before sundown." Sam explained.

"Was that before Runner Nine and Eleven started competing to see how many apples they could eat?" Charlotte asked chuckling.

Sam laughs softly. "Yeah. And um... someone might have spilled an entire basket of them trying to carry them over to the foutain by the farmhouse."

"That doesn't seem so bad." Jody commented.

"Yeah, well, whoever it was spilled them into the chicken coop." Sam said.

"Oh..." Jody said.

"Um, Janine suggested we hand out bits of scrap metal and some safety match, but now we've got this securty set up, this seemed like it might be a little bit more popular with the trick-or-treaters." Sam said laughing slightly.

"Oh yea because scrap metal is something every kid wants in their little bags." Charlotte said sarcasticly.

"Fill up your packs with as many apples as you can carry, and then head back." Sam said happily.

"I can see the baskets. Come on, Five." Jody said as they headed for the baskets as a twig snapped behind them making Charlotte skid to a stop looking around.

"Did you hear something?" Charlotte asked as Jody looked around as well.

"There's nothing on the scanners." Sam said as Jody and Charlotte looked at each other.

"I've got a bad feeling about this. Let's just get this over with, Five, and fast." Jody said as they began to pick up the apples putting them into the basket. After a bit the sound of the brushes rustling is heard making Jody jump looking around. A bird called loudly from the trees making even Charlotte look around.

"Sam..." Charlotte said slowly looking around.

"I'm telling you, there's no sign of anything. The nearest zombie activity is miles and miles away from you two." Sam reassures.

"What if it's not the zombies?" Jody asked shaking slightly.

"Oh, don't tell me you're worried about ghosts, now." Sam said laughing softly.

"I'm not! Well..." Jody said softly as Sam sighs. "New Canton Runner Seventy-eight told me there are things that roam these orchards at night."

"Things like zombies?" Charlotte suggested as she dropped a few apples into her basket.

"Worse things!" Jody cried softly.

"I don't think it actually gets worse than that." Sam said.

"That's because you've never heard of the Headless Zombie." Jody counters as Charlotte laughs softly.

"The what?" She asked.

Jody steps away from her tree looking at Charlotte seriously. "When the moon is full, the Headless Zombies rides out across the fields, searching, always searching, his soul in eternal torment." Her voice changed to sound spooky.

"You mean it's got a horse? Now there's something I'm glad we don't see every day." Sam said happily.

Charlotte shook her head grabbing some more apples. "It's a retelling of the Headless Horseman Sam. Icabad Crane. Sleepy Hollow."

"Oh yea! Wasn't he a coward or something?" Sam asked.

"Yellow belly from what I remember." Charlotte said.

"Now back to my story." Jody huffs. "They say he was a jockey once. Runner One One Seven at New Canton told me he heard he'd won two thirds of the Triple Crown the year before the outbreak." She breathed as the wind picked up a little. "He was at the starting gate, waiting to begin a race, when one of the trainers took a bite out of his arm. By the time he was halfway around the track, he'd started to turn!"

"He was a fast turn then." Charlotte said climbing a left over ladder up to a taller tree.

"They say you could hear him coughing up in the stands, big awful we hacking. But his horse just kept running. Ended up winning the whole race, only he ate two of the prize presenters instead of collecting the trophy." Jody continued.

"Only two?" Charlotte asked chuckling.

"Uh, what happened to his head?" Sam asked.

"Two of the other jockeys found some razor wire and stretched it across the track." Jody started. "The next time he went around-" She put her thumb to her throw and made a sound like cutting off a persons head while moving her thumb across her throat. "But even with his head gone, he kept on riding. They say his connection to his horse was so strong, he didn't need a brain of his own!"

Charlotte sighed climbing down. "And now he roams the countryside, searching for his lost head, doomed to wander forever."

"Yeah!" Jody cried out as he looked around. "Sam I think we've collected enough apples. Can we come home, now?"

"What, scared you're going to start hearing the beating of demonic hooves?" The snorting and stamping of a beast from beyond the grave?" Sam said laughing softly. "Oh, or maybe a-" A horse suddenly whinnies near by making both girls look around.

Charlotte moved away from the tree and saw a black shape in the trees, "Sam... Eastern woods..."

"Um, guys maybe you should leave. Now." Sam said as they heard another rustling coming from the woods. Jody sqaueaked grabbing her basket as charlotte followed suit taking off back towards Abel.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Jody cried out.

"Look, whatever that was, it sounded like it was coming from behind you. If you keep running towards Abel, you'll be-" Sam started before Jody called out.

"I can see something moving! Charlotte, do you see that?" Jody looks towards the tree line seeing a shape moving among the trees.

"I see something. Let's just get out of here." Charlotte said as they ran faster.

"Where? I don't see anything on the scanners." Sam said.

"Up ahead, thorugh the tree line." Charlotte said.

"Maybe if I focus the camera in closer." Sam said softly.

"How can you miss it? It's as big as a..." Jody stops as she gulps thickly. "horse. It's as big as a horse. I think we can go around it. If we just stay out of its way, it won't even know it's us. We can stick to the shadows, take the long way back." A branch snapped making both girls jump.

"Shh! Over here." Charlotte whispered leading her away from their current path. "If we head down this way, it shouldn't even see us."

After a while, the sounds stopped as they where running with the baskets of apples. "Runner Four, Runner five, have you still got eyes on that, uh, thing?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure. I can't see it. Maybe we lost it." Jody said.

"Good. Good. It was probably just a trick of light. I mean, I've seen some weird things, but a zombie on a horse is pretty far-fetched. You two can head back towards the township now. Those trick-or-treaters'll be chomping at the bit." Sam said as there was a rustle in the bushes.

"Sam?" Charlotte said softly.

"What? Oh, 'chomping at the bit', like horses. I get it, it's a pun." Sam said chuckling.

"No, not that. I can still hear something." Charlotte said.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I can look at the cameras again." Sam said. "Nothing ahead of you, nothing behind you, and to your left it looks like there's more -" Sam stops. "Oh. Maybe um, maybe don't look to your left." Jody whimpered looking over as Charlotte follows seeing a dark brown horse with a headless body on it. The horse reared back whinning making Jody cry out. "I told you not to look!"

"Go Charlotte, go! It's him!" Jody cries out as they run to the right away from the horse as it began to chase after them. The horses hooves pounded on the ground behind them as Charlotte and Jody tried to lose them in the trees.

"You're going the wrong way! You've got to head back towards Abel!" Sam shouted,

"All we want to do is get away from that thing." Jody shouts.

"Oh, it's not that bad! I mean, as far as zombies go, a headless one is the best kind, isn't it? It's not like he can take a bite out of you. So long as you don't get close enough for the horse to kick you, you're probably alright." Sam said as Charlotte looked back seeing the horseman wave his hand brandishing a long black sythe.

"He's got a scythe, Sam!" Charlotte calls out.

"So he can sweep the heads off the bodies of the living and use them as replacements for his own lost skull!" Jody cries out.

"Where do you even get a scythe these days?" Sam asked.

"Sam!" Jody and Charlotte shouted.

"Maybe we can sneak you around it, again. I mean, you did kind of scream at it, but it seemed like your plan of being really really quiet and staying out of its way was kind of working before that." Sam said as Jody and Charlotte ducked into some dense trees and hid behind some larger trees as the horse continues on heading down the path. charlotte looked over seeing Jody leaning back against the tree clutching the basket of apples looking pale white. Charlotte peeked around the tree seeing the horse had stopped a good ways from them. She breathed slowly then looked over at Jody pointing away from the horse. Jody nodded as they headed out away from the horse.

After a bit they picked up speed still holding the baskets tight. The bushes rustled in front of them making Jody squeak. "There's something up ahead!" She hissed.

"Back the way you came. Back! Now!" Sam said as they turned to head back when suddenly they were face to face with the rearing horse and rider. Both girls shrieked as they took off away from it. "No, go right! Go right!"

Charlotte and Jody changed directions as the horse kept up with them. "It's gaining on us, Sam Once we're on open ground, it'll catch up to us in no time!" Jody cried out.

The rider pulled back his sythe ready to strike. "Char what's out for that- Oh just, Duck! Duck now!" Charlotte ducks quickly as the sythe swings through the air missing her easily. "Dammit! I mean, why does a headless jockey even know how to use a sythe?"

"We need to distract the horse. He can't follow us if it's not moving!" Charlotte said.

"Good, because I like both with your heads where they are. Um, how are we going to distract it?" Sam asked.

"Five, empty your basket. I'll do the same." Jody said as they began dumping out the apples in their path.

"Wait you think an evil undead zombie demon horse is going to just stop for a like snack when there are -" Sam starts as the hooves stopped and crunching of apples is heard. "Oh, what do you know." He said softly.

"Let's get out of here while we can." Charlotte said as they ran back towards Abel.

"Looks like you're in the clear. Whatever that thing was, it's not showing up on any of the cameras now. Neither are those apples. You know, I sort of figured an evil undead zombie demon horse would just eat brains, like all the other zombies." Sam said softly.

"It wasn't a zombie horse." Charlotte said simply.

"It - no?" Sam questions.

"Whoever heard of an undead horse, Sam? That's just silly!" Jody said laughing softly.

"Right. Of course." Sam said.

"And anyway, I heard from one of the Goville runners that the only zombie animal in the area is one of the big cats that escaped from the local zoo just after the outbreak. they say it stopped -"

"Um, Jody? Maybe you should wait until we're back at home to tell us that one?" Charlotte said.

"Don't worry. No one's ever seen it this far away from the old butcher's shop on -" Suddenly a cat's growl is heard near by. "Maybe that story can wait." Jody said softly.

"Yeah, good call. You know, now I get another look at it, I wonder if that horse was just a horse." Sam asked softly.

"We've got no way to know that." Jody said.

"Yeah. Come on home, and um, maybe be quick about it, just in case." Sam said as the rustling returned near them Suddenly a flash of metal drew Jody's eyes seeing a sythe come out and take off Charlotte's head with a single swipe making Jody shriek and suddenly bolt upright in her bed panting hard. Nadia jumpped up next to her looking around fast.

"What's wrong?" Nadia asked sleepily.

Jody pants heavily as she looked around quickly feeling a cold sweat covering her face. "Y-yeah... just... a nightmare." She shudders rubbing her face.

Inside the couples dorms Charlotte had shed her wire skirt and was wearing sweats and asleep on the cot with Sam laying behind her. He was watching her sleep gently petting her hair. He smiled softly as he placed a soft kiss to her cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist and fell asleep holding her gently. When he opened his eyes he was running down the path away from Abel with Charlotte at his side.

"Aw man, Char! You are too good to me, seriously! Janine told me she had you off doing some mission to pick up Halloween masks or something." Sam laughed softly. "Yeah, like people want masks as much as they want delicious chinese food. Now, I know it's a bit crazy - yeah we're turning the corner here - yeah, I know it is, but you know how you sometimes just get a real hankering for some food you remember from your childhood?"

"Yeah I catch myself really craving a bowl of spicy gumbo. I haven't had that since I moved to England." Charlotte said with a chuckle.

"My grandma and granddad always used to come and visit England this time of year. Guess the flights were cheap. And my granddad was an amazing cook! Like, professional standard! He'd make these bao - do you know what they are?" Sam asked as they ran down the dirt path. The sky was slightly gray with the possibility of rain coming.

"No I don't."

"Ah, yeah, like, this amazing soft white bread buns, and inside there are these different fillings, like pork or vegetables or shrimp. Oh, once he did this thing with some leftover salmon and green onions and sesame." Sam sighs happily. "Yeah, it was amazing."

"Sounds yummy. I had some Chinese while in New Orleans but Amir liked to cook at home so we didn't eat out often." Charlotte said.

"Was he a good cook?" Sam asked.

"Not really but he had a few recipes from his home country and I learned to make a few." Charlotte said.

"Anyway, you know Runner Seventeen found those wods in a lock-up garage? It just made me think, I mean, I mostly remember what he did. He'd cock, and I'd stand there and watch, and he'd tell me stories, and if I kept stealing the cooked pork before he put it in the bao, then the jiangshi would get me." Sam said.

"The jiangshi? What's that?" Charlotte asked.

"It's just an myth. So, basically, I think I can make some. But we need to get the right kind of flour and stuff. So, you and me, little visit to Chinatown! Sam, out on a mission - yes!" Sam jumpped happily as Charlotte laughed softly looking at him.

"You haven't been out of Abel often save for when it was blown up." Charlotte said.

"Not really. Never had much reason to leave." Sam said offhandedly. "Oh look, there's Chinatown now." Sam said pointing to the set of buildings. "Man, this place is untouched! It's uncredible! I would have thought the looters would have been all over Chinatown. I guess no one thought to come out this way. But still, you'd have thought the zombies would have made a mess of it. They usually do. Not like they're scared of anything."

Charlotte looked around seeing a the buildings were basicially untouched. It was almost creepy. "So... what exactly are we looking for? My knowledge of Chinese food staples is rather limited."

Sam chuckles. "Good thing your dating a Chinese man!" He reaches into his pack and pulls out a map. "Okay, so I've got a map of the area from before the - well, you know, the total destruction of civilization. There are a few grocery shops to try. First one's Chan's Foods. It's, uh, that way." Sam points to a white and red building that had boards up on the windows.

The two of them run over to the building where Charlotte pulled out a crow bar and pulled off the boards off the doors and opened the door. Charlotte let both get in before shutting the door quickly. "This place might have been closed before the outbreak."

Sam chuckles softly. "I don't mind. I am actually so excited about this. Like, I get to share a bit of my culture and stuff with people, like we are in Sesame Street. Or something! Oh, wait, that reminds me, we need to get some sesame seeds." Sam said as they begn looking thorugh the shop for ingredients for him. "So, yeah, I thought I could do a whole thing where I like, tell some of my granddad's old stories, and maybe we can find some chrysanthemum tea. I miss that stuff. Not all the time, but like sometimes."

"Chrysanthemum tea? I've never heard of that. Sounds interesting." Charlotte said as she opens a couple of cabinets finding them empty.

"Oh it is. It feels like a long time since anyone offered me a sour plum." Sam laughs softly.

Charlotte smiles softly walking into the next room. "Did you ever visit your grandparents?"

"I never lived in China or really visited but now I know I'll probably never get to go there ever again, I..." Sam stops standing straight. Charlotte turned and looked at Sam. "I guess I'm just homesick for the past or something."

Charlotte walked over and hugged him gently from the side. She kissed his cheek before pressing her forehead to his temple. "Come on let's keep looking." She said as Sam nodded.

They continued to look for a while before Sam put his hands on his hips. "Hmm, looks like you were right. Chan's must have closed down before the apocalupse. Everything seems sort of empty. Not going to find anything useful..." The sound of a small thump outside is heard making both of them look towards the door.

"What was that?" Charlotte whispered walking towards the door.

"I don't know..." Sam said as she listened for the moans of zombies but not hearing anything.

Charlotte opened the door looking around not seeing anyone around. "What is that?" She asked pointing down what looked like four statues dressed in Chinese mens robes with hats on.

Sam steps over looking at them. "Looks like statues or mannegquins in a shop. Chinese clothing shop, maybe? Okay, on to the next one." He walks them towards another shop. "So want to hear something crazy?"

"You secretful dress up in skirts and play Benny Hill?" Charlotte suggests making Sam give her a flat look.

"No. Funny but no. There's kind of a Chinese version of a zombie." Sam said as Charlotte giggles softly. "I know silly right? Well, like people say, all those legends were probably some kind of folk memory of something like this happening before. Or something."

"That's actually quite interesting. Is that the Jiangshi your granddad threatened you with?" Charlotte asked.

"Yep. They come back from the dead, yeah, and they chase after the living, and try to steal your chi from you, which I guess is life energy, so a bit like brains or something?" Sam said as Charlotte chuckles softly. Sam joined in her laughter. "The only thing is, they're still stiff corpses, like rigor mortis, so they have to-" Sam laughs harder. "so they have to-ah sorry - they have to jump, like-" Sam makes a jump motion. "jump! So they jump after you, and jump along the road!"

Charlotte and Sam continued to laugh before they calmed down. "That's kind of an odd image of a hopping zombie."

"Yeah. whenever my grandad'd tell me this, he'd try and make it all scary, but the jumping, man, that's not scary! I think he was a bit offended that I always laughed at the Jiangshi. He'd go, 'Now you listen, young man. When a Jiangshi is following you, you won't find it so funny. Then you'll wish you knew how to defeat them.' Sam said making an impression of an older man. He sighed softly as his smile falls a bit. "Hmm... I guess I do wish I'd listened now. Be a better story if I knew all the bits."

Charlotte smiles softly as they stepped into a restaurant supply store. "My grandparents were interesting people."

"Maybe you will have to tell me about them while I make bao. That way we can share our family stories." Sam said smiling. "Look there are steaming basket, we need those! Let's get a few. I'll put them in your backpack." Sam picks up the bamboo steaming baskets and stuffs them into Charlotte's bag before turning back to the shelf.

Charlotte picked up a couple of bags of white rice. "I like this stuff. Made excellent filler for soup."

"Okay, got some Nong Shim dried noodles..." Sam said grabbing some of the noodles off the shelf. "Seriously, these are so much better than Pot Noodle. Jack doesn't know what he's talking about." Sam started to load up her bag. "Chili oil, hoisin sauce... I am always amazed at how deceptively roomy your backpack is, you know." Sam said chuckling.

"You and me both. Some of those supply missions Janine has sent me on I'm surprised by how much I can bring back." Charlotte said with a chuckle.

"Like, it's bigger on the inside." Sam exclaimed as he zipped up the bag. "Okay, that's great. We just need some spices now. If we get a move on, we'll be back in time to get some started for supper!"

They walked out of the store and started to run towards a spice shop when the thumping returned only slightly louder. Charlotte stopped looking around. "Do you hear something?" She asks.

Sam stopped listening hard and looking around. "No. I don't see anyone. Might be a zom or two around, I guess. Anyway, come on. Spices, then let's get home before it gets too dark."

Charlotte nodded as they stepped into the spice shop. It was still strong with all the different spice jars. Some were in small jars and some was in big bins. "My nana would be in heaven in this place." She said softly looking around.

"Great. Star anise, you go into my bag." Sam said humming as he started to stuff the jars into his bag. Once they finished in the spice shop they stepped out and began running down the street. "So yeah, my sister was the one who really kept up with her Chinese lessons. I mean, I can basically understand when people talk to me, but I can't..." Sam stopped talking looking ahead of him. "Huh... Char... I know the street lights are out, but do you see people out there?"

Charlotte looked ahead seeing the same statues that they saw earlier. "No just those statues."

"That's odd... but I don't think - there wasn't anyone over there when we..." Sam started as the statues suddenly lept into the sky and landed a good 10 feet from their previous spot making them stop looking at them in horror. "Oh crap... tell me you saw that..."

"You mean that whole crow of twenty or so people jump towards us? Yes I did. Let's get out of here!" Charlotte said grabbing his arm pulling him the other direction.

"They can't be, but it is -" Sam shouted as they stopped when another group of the statues jumpped in front of them. "They've cut us off, they're - the jiangshi, they're after us! We've got to get out of the way! Run!" He shouted as Charlotte led down down an alley as the thumping got louder as the statues continued in their pursuit. They turned out of the alley and headed down a back road towards the edge of Chinatown. The jiangshi continued their jumpping towards them seeming to gain ground.

"They're gaining on us. They jump quickly!" Charlotte shouted.

"Okay, okay, uh, trying to remember everything I've ever heard about the jiangshi right now. Okay, uh, they um... the spirit of the dead person has jumped back into the body. You have to get it out, you have to - oh... think, think!" Sam shouted hitting his forehead as one dropped right in front of them. It's face was blank of emotion but it's eyes were open with a darkness that went deeper than just being dead. "Run!" Sam shouted pulling Charlotte back down another alley heading to the original road.

"You have to fight them with something don't you?" Charlotte shouted.

"I think you have to use peach wood! Yes!" Sam said fast.

"I don't think peach trees even grow in the UK Sam! Plan B?" Charlotte said as the thumping continued.

"You have to... you have to... - you can get the spirit to jump out of the body by spattering it with the blood of a black dog!" Sam shouted as Charlotte looked at him.

"Not practical besides Jody wouldn't forgive you for killing a dog. Plan C?" Charlotte asked looking back at them seeing the statues were hot on their heels.

Sam growls holding his head. "No wonder! I never listened to my granddad. I think there was something else. something else... oh, you want the spirit to get out of the body."

"Sounds like a good plan. How do we do it?" Charlotte asked.

Sam laughs slightly. "My granddad used to say, 'Watch out, the spirit might try and jump into someone else.' I think he was just trying to scare me, to get me to eat my rice, I.." Sam stopped. "eat my rice! Yes, yes, glutinous rice! Not the cooked stuff, the raw!" Sam said as Charlotte reached into her pack and grabbed the bag of white rice. She tore open the bag with her teeth as Sam took a handfull. "We have to throw it at them, and they - oh, I don't know maybe it tempts the spirit out of the body to look at the rice? Maybe they don't have rice in the afterlife? I don't know."

"Come on worth a try." Charlotte said as she skidded to a stop with the jiangshi blocking their route out of town. She looked back and saw the others had stopped near by them keeping them trapped.

Sam then chucked the handfull of rice at the ones in front of them followed by Charlotte's handful. "Alright take that! Dead spirit of one of the ancestors! Whom I venerate, obviously, but you should really go back to your own place instead of hanging around some dead bloke's body!" For a moment nothing happened making Sam grab more. "I am starting to think that it-" Suddenly several jiangshi began to cough before it threw up something onto the ground.

"Ah shit... It coughed up a lungful of rice, that's weird. Weird, but not bad." Charlotte said.

"Probably dead, not undead-walking-around-dead. Kinda wish all zombies were this easy to kill, right. Alright let's chuck rice like our lives depended on it! Or, like we're celebrating two peoples' decision to spend their life together!" Sam shouted as they ran past the jiangshi in front of them chucking the rice as they went. Soon the jiangshi who were following them began coughing throwing up organs as well.

"I think that's the last of them." Charlotte said as she slowed down tossing away the now empty bag of rice. She rubbed her shoulder suddenly feeling a stiffness that wasn't there before.

"Man, I can't believe I actually remembered what my granddad taught me to do. It's crazy! I never thought I listened properly to anything he said. I'm trying to remember though, there was something about those spirits going into other bodies - I'm not sure I remember right, though. Or maybe granddad was just joking, I mean, he knew what he was doing with the bao, but I think he liked to scare me." Sam started to suck his teeth slightly. "I got a couple of grains of rice in my mouth from all that chucking them about." Charlotte felt her leg starting to cramp up a bit making her rub it slightly. "You ok Char?"

"Just stiff... it's strange." She said as she was having trouble keeping up with Sam. "Hey slow down a bit." She said as Sam sucked his teeth more.

"Well home for us. Might still have time to make bao." Sam said running with her the best they could.

"Runner Five? Sam? Are you there?" Janine asked after a while.

"We're here Janine and on our way back." Sam said as Charlotte groans as she comes to a stop holding her shoulder.

"Wait I need a second." Charlotte said as Sam stopped with her and gave Janine a report on what happened.

"So you're telling me that Chinatown isn't the secure dead zone we thought it was?" Janine questioned.

"Well, I mean, it depends what you mean by 'dead zone', yeah." Sam sucks his teeth again.

"Mr. Yao are you quite well?" Janine asked. "Runner Five what's wrong?"

"My body is really stiff right now... It really hurts..." Charlotte said as she stood up trying to stretch out to relieve the pain.

Sam continued to suck his teeth. "Yeah, I - there's something in my mouth, here... just, just..." He suddenly stopped and looked at Charlotte her eyes no longer green but instead black as coal. "Where do the spirits go, Char? When they come out of the bodies?" He asked softly as Charlotte looked into Sam's own black eyes and her face lost all expression.

Suddenly Charlotte and Sam hoped into the air heading right for Abel quickly. "Mr. Yao? Miss Deloius? Why are you two jumping?" She asked before Janine shrieks when they landed in Abel making Sam cry out and fall off the cot waking up Charlotte quickly.

"Sam?" Charlotte asked looking at the scrambling Sam who backed up into the wall suddenly making spitting noises. "Sam are you ok?" She asked kneeling next to him.

Sam looked at her in panic cupping her cheeks looking into her eyes seeing they were still the normal bright green. "Charlotte... how are you feeling right now?" He asked quickly.

"Uh... confused... and worried honestly. Sam what happened?" Charlotte asked.

Sam started to calm down slowly pulling Charlotte close holding onto her tight. "Just a nightmare..." He breathed slowly. Charlotte gently held onto him tight rubbing his back.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Charlotte asked softly. Sam nodded slowly standing up with her. They walked out into the cool night air holding hands, Sam holding on especially tight.

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< 34 >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

#zombie #zombies run #zombie run #ZombieRun #zombiesrun #run #runner 5 #runner five #runner5 #runnerfive #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

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