Day 8 - Search

"we need supplies lil lady. uh huh yeah."

Nash "Elvis" Hambleton crossed Ling Mei's small living room to grab the last bottle of water resting on the counter.  The faded lounge singer looked gaunt, tired and more like the great man than ever before.  With his spangly jumpsuit and steel guitar he cut the very image of Elvis, right down to the huge .45 that he had brought back from his army days.

Ling Mei scowled at her landlord, wishing he would cut the irreverent act.  She knew he was right though, the small band of friends were running low on supplies and needed to start gathering some in before things got worse out there.  However she also knew how bad it was getting out there and her recent experiences, particularly with the kid at JJ's school had brought home a certain reality about the world outside her cosy building.  The others hadn't encountered the zeds yet so were  skeptical about them and Ling Mei felt that they were humouring her. Still...

"right! we're going out.  But we need to go out there hard, lets get armed first and remember things have changed out there."

With that she gathered her swords and bow, pulling the sarge's flak jacket over her head.  The others, blinking at the sudden change in Ling Mei's demeanor grabbed the various weapons they had brought with them since the beginning and followed her out of the door.  No-one grabbed the assault rifle that had once been a high school kid's...

Jogging along the High Street, the group kept close by each other, eyes scanning the shadows for signs of trouble.  Around them they could hear low moans coming from buildings and yards.  The occasional scream would ring out, causing them all to spin in that direction, gripping weapons tightly. Nobody was skeptical anymore.  Ling Mei, slightly ahead, moved with an unnatural grace, lightly touching the ground and almost gliding she made her way toward the train station.  In comparison the others felt clumsy and winced at each scuffed footstep and crunch of broken glass underfoot.  Drawing her swords Ling Mei indicated to the others to spread out as the came up to the double doors.  With a spring she flung open the doors and the group piled into the relative gloom of the station.  The concourse was an absolute wreck with newspapers and other detritus scattered across the floor.  More sinister still was the half dozen bodies lying among the discarded tickets and food wrappers, pools of blood congealing around them.  Standing over one of the broken forms was a figure swaying as if in a breeze, that was not present.  As the doors shut behind them, the figure turned to face them, blood dribbling from it's jaws, vacant stare with pupil-less eyes.  With a hiss the zombie shambled toward them.

Ling Mei stepped forward readying her blades as the others took stock of what they saw in front of them.  Debbie gulped visibly as she cocked the pair of impressive sigsauer P226s she had drawn.  Nash, crossing himself with his free hand  and pointing his .45 at the creature began singing softly under his breath "a little less conversation, a little more action please..."  Juliana sobbed silently as she stared at the face of her high school sweetheart as he staggered toward them.  With a gasp she ran to the ticket booth and hid behind it, all the while tears ran down her cheeks.

Ling Mei cursed under her breath as she recognised Gary and knew the pain it was causing her friend.  With a flourish she drove both blades into the chest of JJ's old flame and pulled them upwards in a cross-hand motion, severing the vertebrae at the base of Gary's skull.  Gesturing to Debbie and Nash, she pointed at the ticket office, motioning at them to look for anything useful.  With that she strode over to JJ and hugged her hard.  "I'm so sorry."

Debbie jumped over the counter and made her way into the office followed by Nash.  With a growl a zombie that had been feeding on the ticket attendant reached out for Nash, who shrank back in horror at the zed.  Loud cracks split the air as Debbie unloaded her sauers at the undead monster flinging it away from the lounge singer.  Reaching out a hand she pulled him to his feet before riffling through the office, finding a set of keys in the process.  With nothing else to find the pair made their way out meeting the others in the concourse again, "nothing in the managers office" said Ling Mei as they made their way out of the station.

Adjusting their eyes to the glare of the midday sun the group blinked owlishly around them.  In the distance at the top of the High Street, what could only be zombies moved aimlessly about.  Ling Mei turned to the group to begin to plan out their next move when she said. "Where's JJ?".......