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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 6, 2011 22:34:30 GMT -5
Ryan was dressed in his military uniform outside the hotel. His hummer was parked out front. His gun, a scope rifle, hung over his left shoulder. He never left home without it. He was send there to make sure things were safe and that no one got hurt.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he stood there. While this area wasn't dangerous, they still required the military to stand guard here in case there were any Re-Animated deciding to take a walk in this direction.
Ryan sighed. It was really quiet out there. There was some kind of gathering of some sort here. He didn't know who or what but they were clearly human. Suddenly his memory flashed him an image of a church inside. He smacked himself on the forehead. Of course. It was a Sunday. There was a small mass that was being held in the hotel's lobby.
His mind had been elsewhere at this point. It was showing that living like this, you tended to lose track of things. That meant days and months. He ran a hand through his hair and waited there, wondering if he would meet someone interesting today. |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 6, 2011 23:09:45 GMT -5
Charity had never been one for religion or church. Back before the vaccine she had thought it was a waste of her time to pray. She never had to think about where she was going to go before she died or sins she had commented. She just lived life to the fullest and didn’t care about the consequences. Now all she worried about was dying and surviving on her own. It was amazing how things have changed. One little vaccine had turned the world upside down and changed her whole view on the world in so little time.
After a while of thinking she decided that perhaps she could try to see what mass was all about. It wouldn’t hurt to just step in on the service and listen in; maybe it would help her find new faith in herself. If it didn’t do that then maybe it would enlighten her in a different way. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
When she walked up to the hotel she instantly recognized it. She used to spend a lot of time in Fariview hotels just like this one. Seeing the place took her back to the times when she didn’t have a care in the world. Why couldn’t things have just stayed the same? She could just see the people, the limousines, everything shiny with people waiting on you had and foot. That had really been the good life. It was good to see that a place like this wasn’t crawling with the Re-animated.
There were whispers coming from the group inside and she could tell that they must have already started. She was about to walk inside to join the group of praying people when she saw the flashing red and blue lights out of the corner of her eye. As much as she wanted to be enlightened about religion, talking to a cop seemed far more interesting. Besides she was still new to this area and she thought maybe she could learn something from him. If he was the friendly type that is.
She made her way over to him with a shy smile on her face, not speaking until she was a few feet away. “Hi there.” She shoved her hands into her pockets and looked around, “I thought this place was supposed to be one of the safest around, You must be really bored.”
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 6, 2011 23:31:37 GMT -5
Ryan looked up at the girl. He flashed her a big grin.
"Bored no? Comatose? yes" he laughed lightly. "I'm Ryan" he introduced himself. "What's your name?"
He extended his hand out to her in a friendly gesture. She was cute that was for sure It looked as though his day got a heck of a lot better. He hadn't seen her around here before so perhaps she was 'new' per se.
"You heading in there?" he asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the hotel entrance to the chapel.
He wasn't one for religion himself now, but maybe back when things were normal and the way they were, perhaps he would consider religion. Now, it just didn't seem so important anymore. They were living day by day, housing weapons and having undead people walking around as though they were still alive.
Ryan shifted his weight onto a different foot and studied her. "You new around town?" he implied of her curiously. "If you get bored in there you could always come help me out here" he grinned at her and adjusted his rifle onto his other shoulder.
It was boring and safe here at the same time. So the day was like a waste almost |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 7, 2011 1:17:10 GMT -5
Charity smiled and shook his hand, “It’s nice to meet you Ryan, My name is Charity.” He seemed like a nice enough guy, plus he was very handsome. The guns had made him seem intimidating at first. Perhaps talking to him really would be more interesting than sitting amongst a bunch of whispering people. “Well I was thinking about going in there…” she said as she looked back at the lobby filled with people, “I mean people always say you should look to a higher power during trouble times…I’m not really one for religion but it seems to make them feel better so I thought I might check it out.”
She rocked back on her heels and laughed quietly when he asked if she was new, “is it that obvious?” She wasn’t sure if being new was a good or bad thing around here. There had been lots of towns she had gone to that didn’t want her around because they didn’t trust outsiders. It was mostly because of thieves and others who took advantage of others help, “I just got here a few days ago, it’s a nice place considering everything that’s going on, one of the nicest I have been to so far. ”
Helping him out did seem like a lot more fun than church. It was probably bad of her to think that way but she could always try going next Sunday, “So by helping you out do you mean standing here keeping you company while you keep an eye on things?”
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 7, 2011 14:55:23 GMT -5
Ryan beamed at Charity
"It's nice to meet you Charity" he said pleasantly. "And a little" he winked at her.
He nodded. He understood what she meant. To him, you could talk to the higher power wherever you went. Why go into one building designed specially for that? Wasn't he everywhere? Ryan shook his head, clearing these thoughts away.
He grinned. "Well," he said checking his watch on his left wrist. "I'm actually off duty in five minutes. My replacements coming in shortly. We could go grab something to eat if you want?" he asked her curiously.
It would be nice to go and have some fun instead of standing around outside all day. While the weather was so far ok, fall was creeping in. You could feel little tendrils of it snaking through the city. At night the temperature dropped a bit so it was much cooler. A little tingle ran down his spine but he ignored it.
"Do you have any family?" he asked her tentatively.
Normally, that would be an honest easy question...but now, it was a loaded weapon. He watched her, hoping that he didn't upset her by asking that.
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 7, 2011 16:20:29 GMT -5
Charity hadn’t eaten yet so getting food sounded great, especially since she would be eating with a cute guy. It would be nice to make at least one friend in this area. That would give her more of a reason to stay there instead of continuing her travels. “Sure, I think that would be great. I am kind of hungry anyway.” She wrapped her arms around herself, noticing the slight chill in the air. She was going to have to find some warmer clothes soon. She hadn’t grabbed much on her way out of her house, just a jacket but at least that was something?
Family hadn’t been something she has thought about in a while. It had just been her and her dad so she wasn’t sure if she ever really did have a family. Her father had always been busy and gone on constant business trips. So she never really got to spend time together. Not that the thought matters anymore now that she was alone. “No, not anymore…My dad was the only person I had, he ended up being one of the unlucky ones…I’m alone now, but so are a lot of others as you probably know.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the ground. The subject didn’t really bother her as much as she used to. “What about you? Do you have anyone?” She didn’t know if he would be upset for her asking but he had asked her so it only seemed fair.
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 7, 2011 17:09:33 GMT -5
Ryan noticed that she'd gotten cold, so he pulled off his BDU jacket and gently covered her shoulders with it. He walked her toward his patrol car and opened the passenger side door. he slid into the driver's seat and when they were both settled , He put the car in drive and pulled away from the front steps. His replacement had come so everything was set.
He turned the corner and glanced at Charity.
"No. No one." he said sadly. "I'm alone as well."
He offered her a smile. It would be nice to eat with a cute girl and hopefully become friends. It always boosted your morale to have some friends especially in a time like this. About 10 minutes later, Ryan pulled in front of the bar. It was a safe haven and the cook there made some mean meatloaf. Ryan climbed out and then helped Charity out of the car. He held the door open for her.
Once inside he picked a booth and slid in. He watched for her to slid in across from him.
"My entire family was given the vaccine. I was the only one who didn't get it. Call it a hunch or fate, but I had a bad feeling that something was going to go wrong. I can't explain it" He said to her. "I hope I don't sound crazy"
He offered her a smile as the waitress came over. Ryan ordered a Coke and a burger. He let Charity order and then waited for her response. |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 7, 2011 18:35:16 GMT -5
Charity couldn’t help but blush a bit when he draped his jacket over her shoulders, “Thank you.” She said quietly as she slid into the car. It was nice to see that troubled times hadn’t taken good manners away. It was sad to hear that he was alone to but not surprising. Like she had said before, a lot of people were alone these days. Though there were the lucky few who managed to have at least one family member left.
The bar looked nice; it was one of the places she hadn’t been to yet. She decided what he ordered sounded great and ordered the same thing, and then went on to tell him “No you don’t sound crazy at all.” She laughed quietly, “Some people just have a good instinct. I would say that you getting the feeling just means your smarter than most” She leaned back in the booth and made herself comfortable, “My dad tried to make me get the vaccine, He said it was the smart and safe thing to do, but I refused because I was worried I would have some kind of allergic reaction to it…he told me I was being silly.” She sighed and twirled a piece of her hair in her fingers. “So, are you from this area? Or did you travel here?”
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 7, 2011 18:59:49 GMT -5
Ryan looked at her solemnly.
"It's a good thing you didn't get it then" He said to her. He heard her ask if he was from around here. He nodded.
"Oh yes born and raised here in Maine. I joined the service out of high school and served until now. My dad was a military brat. He loved the army. His father was in it before him and it went back a few generations. It was kinda why I got involved in it. Family blood" He said softly. When the food came, he took a bit bite of the burger.
He chewed thoughtfully and then picked up from where he left off.
"Being in the army you travel alot. So you see all kinds of interesting things" he said dipping a fry into a wad of ketchup. "I got money for college and whatnot so that was good. Plus I have some useful skills" he winked at her lightly and sighed again. "The military was the last to go. People that were infected attacked the remaining military. They bit then, transferring the sickness that way. It was exactly like the movies"
He added dryly. He shook his head taking a sip of soda.
He looked at her.
"Do you travel?" he implied curiously and waited for her response. |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 7, 2011 21:07:48 GMT -5
“I think it’s wonderful that your family was so involved with the military.” She said after taking a bite of her fries. She thought about all of those infected people attacking the military. It must have been awful and terrifying; People running and screaming everywhere. Men were probably going crazy and shooting guns like in all the zombie movies. She shivered at the thought “It must have been really terrible for you to see all of that.”
She smiled a bit and nodded when he asked if she traveled, “I traveled all the time with my father, I have been almost everywhere. There was nothing I loved more than going to a new place and having the time of my life.” She sighed “Now I travel from town to town trying to find a permanent place to stay. I walked halfway here from New York, it was the scariest trip I have ever taken, and I am not sure how I even made it this far honestly.” New York had been terrible; one of the biggest cities was now probably the most dangerous place on earth to be. “I am really hoping to make this my permanent home.” She didn’t know how much longer she could last on her own. “This food is really great.” She smiled as she finished off her fries.
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 9, 2011 16:01:24 GMT -5
Ryan grinned at Charity.
"Yep The food here is awesome. I come here often" he said softly.
Ryan polished off the rest of his food and took a drink of his Coke. Ryan stretched lazily and then the waitress came back to see if they wanted anything more. Ryan ordered a slice of chocolate cake. He grinned at Charity.
"I have a soft spot for chocolate" he said lightly. "Would you like anything?"
He asked her curiously. He was glad he had bumped into her. It was nice talking to someone else for a change.
Ryan listened to her intently, taking in every word she said and showing her respect and attention. It was hard to witness that. She was very understanding and compassionate. He liked that about her.
"Yea it was horrible. I don't think I'll ever forget it." Ryan said shivering to himself. He had loved horror movies, but now, not so much. He was more into comedy and fantasy. Normally he would spend hours watching horror movies and creature movies.
Things changed drastically after the apocalypse. He would be shocked it if hadn't changed much. He waited for Charity to respond.
"Care to take a walk with me after lunch?" he implied. |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 13, 2011 3:52:18 GMT -5
Charity grinned, it was nice to be around a guy who wasn’t afraid to admit he had a sweet tooth. She was used to being around rich snobby guys who thought they were better than everyone. It was refreshing to be around a normal guy, though Ryan was the first normal guy she had ever hung out with. “No thank you, but I will probably end up stealing a bite or two of your cake if you don’t mind.” It surprised her that he was so easy to talk to. He was also a good listener. She could tell that he was really paying attention to what she was saying; not letting her words go in one ear and out the other. It was a very attractive quality. Everything about him was attractive. She knew that thinking about attractive guys and anything like that was the last thing she should be thinking about. Here the world was ending and she was sitting there eating lunch with a handsome guy and enjoying herself. Did that make her a terrible person? She hoped not.
Being in the restaurant like this with him really made her feel like things was a little bit normal. A feeling that she knew wouldn’t last long once she was back outside watching out for re-animated. A smile spread across her face when he asked her to go on a walk with him, maybe the normal feeling could last a little longer then she thought. “I think a walk sounds great, I would love to. It will be nice to get out and walk around I still don't know my way around here yet.”
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 13, 2011 12:27:10 GMT -5
Ryan chuckled and pushed the plate towards her so she could get an ample piece
"Sure help yourself" he said grinning at her.
When they were done, Ryan paid for the food, including Charity's and held the door open for her. Once outside in the cool spring air, Ryan inhaled deeply. He loved the spring. It was his favorite time of year. Winter was ok, but he didn't want the snow and ice. It was a nightmare to try and drive around in it. Ryan walked alongside Charity, his shoulder occasionally bumping hers. He knew a really nice spot to walk.
He found the path that led along the bay where ships used to come in to drop off their cargo. Occasionally a cruise ship would come through here as well. Ryan leaned against the steel railings that lined the pathway. There was a small drop into the bay. He turned to Charity.
"Do you think things will go back to the way they were?" He asked her softly studying her face. "I mean do you think the world will recover and come back?"
He leaned his elbows on the railing and clasped his hands. He was surprised that he was able to be himself around Charity. Normally around pretty girls he got flustered and a bit klutzy, but he was fine around her. She wasn't afraid to be herself either, which was attractive. He watched her curiously. |
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Post by Charity Marie Celeste on Dec 13, 2011 14:57:58 GMT -5
Charity enjoyed walking with him. Every time his shoulder bumped against hers she would blush and look away so he couldn’t see her blushing. When they got to the bay she stood next to him and leaned against the railing, looking out at the water. “It’s so quiet here, almost peaceful.” It was hard to believe anything could be peaceful in this world.
She looked down at her hands as she thought about his questions. “I don’t think it will ever go back to the way it was, but I do think the world will recover someday. We will pick up the pieces and rebuild…It can’t stay this bad forever. At least…that’s what I keep telling myself.” She did have hope that thing would get better, but she figured she would be long gone by the time the world started feeling normal again. Even if a cure was found there would still be the memories of all the horrible deaths. With so little people in the world she figured that it would be hard to rebuild but, it would eventually happen. “I worry that if it stays like this for too long that this will start to feel normal to everyone. You know what I mean?” She asked as she glanced over at him.
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Post by Ryan Tanner on Dec 13, 2011 16:58:53 GMT -5
Ryan thought about this for a moment. He nodded.
"Sure I understand. The normal becomes abnormal" he said and winked at her. "I do hope they're trying to find a cure though. It would be nice if things could be reversed"
He inhaled deeply and turned around so that his back rested against the railing. He draped his elbows over the top rail and looked at Charity.
"What about your boyfriend? Surely he was around or still is?" Ryan asked her curiously.
Surely someone as lovely as her had a boyfriend or has one. He wasn't going to over step anything if she had one. He wasn't like that. He would respect her and care about her as a friend. He never would get in between anything.
Ryan watched her. It was a long time since he liked someone, liked for that matter. His first crush was more than likely dead. He'd never had a chance to ask her out or anything. The world now was sadly diminished. Women who were single might be a bit hard to find depending. Still, he waited for Charity to reply patiently.
Behind him the seagulls squawked overhead and landed on the piers. A few boats bobbed softly with the current. |
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