RPG The Ghosts In My View

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Jennifer whispered to me in my sleep, telling me to be calm, to wait patiently for a way to save us from us, but I couldn't listen. Too much howling downstairs. Carlotta had caught a possum in the backyard and was currently eviscerating it in the name of protecting me and Carol, who she was starting to regard as her mother. Giving up on sleeping I pulled on my jeans and found a pullover. Slipping my belt on and adjusting the holster of the 9mm Jennifer had kept in her glove box I quietly unlocked the back sliding glass door and stepped into the grassy yard.

The air was cool, and the breeze rising from the bay brought the scents of the night. With the olfactory nerves of two women instead of one, every scent was amplified. Not like the dogs now happily bouncing around my feet, not like Carol, who could hear a ladybug tramping across rosebushes in the gardens, and the sound of thunder rolling in from the coastal hills. I turned my head, listening for changes from the occasional and exceedingly infrequent car, or person scurrying home. These days circadian rhythms meant very little. So little in fact, that Carol and Eros could be found up at any given hour. Right now Eros was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a ginger ale out of a glass bottle and looking forlorn while Carol was upstairs sleeping behind Kevlar blinds and what we'd started calling 'The Coffin.'[/i]

"Do you smell anything Escobar?"

[i]The enormous black dog looked back up at me with doleful eyes as if to say,[/i] "No, but you could feed me and make me a happy man."

[i]I heaved an overly dramatic sigh and stroked his velvety soft ears with one hand while resting the other on my hip casually. A flicker of movement over my left shoulder and I immediately sank into a crouch and Escobar grew tense underneath my hand. He growled once, then surged past me, barking hysterically, loud enough to wake everyone sleeping in the house. Josie and Carlotta joined in the din, and eventually whatever it was retreated far enough for them to content themselves with wandering around the perimeter of the fence, noses quivering, senses on high alert.

Feeling none too sanguine myself I turned and found myself staring directly into Carol's multi colored eyes. She regarded me calmly, and blinked so slowly I thought she'd merely closed them entirely. Then she opened them again and tilted her head to one side.[/i]

"The dogs scared off two weaker Eaters. I can hear him running now."

"There you go again, making me jealous."

"It's no gift to most I'll tell you that. Eros is upstairs with the scope. If you get back on the wires we can tell the others in the area."

[i]The tone of her voice rankled me just a little, even though I knew it wasn't wise to argue with someone who could literally rip me in half. I went back inside and climbed the second staircase to my room. Pulling my laptop across the desk towards me I put out an alert on the system the sane ones used. The insane ones would welcome an Eater attack.

Then I went back to my blog and began updating. I refrained from mentioning Carol. Any crazy who found out that Mrs. Young's house was a haven for a virtual goddess on earth would blab it somehow and bring all the loonies running. On the third floor I could afford the luxury of an open window, and the smells from downstairs drifted up this way. Viewing the bay, and the bridge still standing I almost felt sad. We'd never cross it again. Not without suffering any amount of injuries along the way or running for our lives. But even then we'd have to wait. Mrs. Young couldn't feed herself anymore, or wouldn't. And this house was the safest thing we could get to. The closest to being secure. And it was good enough for me.

It would have to be.

I shut my laptop and crossed towards my bathroom, running my hands over the murals I'd had all the time in the world to create. In black and red the text on my western wall read;[/i] "I know how the undead feel."

[i]Maybe it was melodramatic but who cares? Nobody will see it but Eros and Carol. And Eros was too preoccupied turning his room into a web, connecting the women in his life to form some semblance of order. Carol was amused and pleased with my art, and let me be without a motherly lecture I knew wasn't her. Jennifer never would've guessed that in her mind there was the artistic capacity to produce everything we had done together.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Gray"]Leave it to the Bay Area to be a hodgepodge of buildings.In the middle of this seemingly upscale neighborhood, there was a multitude of dilapidated, run down hovels that even the shiftiest of characters wouldn't dare enter. About three years ago, this place used to be pretty nice. All the rich kids lived here. I remember wanting to sneak past the gates that sheltered this community from us peasants. I wanted to stain their eyes with my middle class American-ness. Let me tell you, nothing scares rich snobs more than their daughters falling in love with a middle class slob who happens to come into their lives. All those movie stereotypes you saw where the rich girl falls for the bum, are true....especially around here. No parent wants to see their daughter that has such a promising future be mired by some kid that happens to have a good personality. It's wicked fun, you should try it sometime.

As I left my temporary shelter, walking across the street...I could hear the silence of the street that once was probably filled with noise and excitement. I actually preferred the silence, it's comforting in a way. I walked cautiously, afraid to encounter more of those things at any moment. These creatures didn't usually hunt by themselves. Packs of two to three of them was what normally attacked me. I don't know what drives them to do that, but everyone's just trying to survive now a days. Even a beast has to eat.

I came to scene of the crime. It was a beautiful estate and it seemed out of place compared to the rest of this forgotten place. The lawn was vast and filled with dense foliage, which seemed to only cement this place as a solemn, solitary world within the world.I approached cautiously and saw that the door had been splintered and torn off its hinges by the beast's forced entry. I don't know if anyone had survived the break-in, but I tensed my muscles anyways...waiting for the creature to appear and attack me at any moment. My heart began to pound as I approached the entryway. I walked in slowly, checking the area like a SWAT member clearing a room. It was silent in the immediate area. The place was almost as beautiful inside as it was out. The place was decorated with a post classical design in mind. The Gothic architecture flourished here. All the furniture was littered with Dust, however...probably because of years of neglect or lack of purpose to clean it. When the world is on the edge of going nuts, you don't have time to worry about cleanliness. I stepped into the parlor and was met with a knife hovering right at my throat and the soothing sound of a semi-automatic weapon being cocked.

"Who are you?!" The voice behind the knife boomed. "Are you one of them?"

"No, you probably already met him, I was just following him since this looked like where are the cool kids hang out. Now are you gonna get that knife off my neck or do I have to make it that way?"

The woman behind the gun laughed "You're not gonna get her buddy, trust me."

I peered at the girl and I was taken aback. All of the thoughts came back in a rush. The screams, the gunshots, the stench of corpses, the crimson color of blood running on the white tile floor of my apartment. Then I was suddenly brought back to reality by her sudden approach. She began to sniff me like an animal would when it's curious about something. She obviously had no problem invading people's personal boundaries, because her nose dangled at my neckline.

"So? Who is he Grace" Knife-girl snarled.

"He's not one of them, that's for sure. He looks intelligent enough not to be."

With that, the death hold was released and I sighed in relief as I peered into Grace's eyes. Something seemed awfully familiar about her. Her looks showed her to be a woman who seemed to be very delicate, but her eyes showed her true strength. The kind of eyes that show a person has seen a lot of trauma in their lives. That all too familiar look on her face said it all.

"What? You have a staring problem?"

Again, I snap back into reality.

"No no. I'm not one of them. My name's Korey. Care for a smoke?"

The knife girl quickly plucked the cigarette from the carton, not hesitating at my offer. Grace took it cautiously and as I lit both cigarettes up, I decided to take a chance and get some info from these women.

"So what are those things and why did they just try to attack you?"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]The newcomer's entrance was almost expected. Carol had warned me, set up the trap to keep him from bolting at once, and he walked right in. I suppose I had Jenn's breathing exercises to thank for that. And when we made ourselves more visible, spoke to him, I could see the intelligence behind his eyes. And his smell. Male, different from Eros's, but passable. His eyebrows went up when I picked up his scent less subtly than I usually do, but it was better this way. At his response I felt a tickling sensation in the back of my mind and it almost made me squirm.

I laughed and Jennifer laughed with me, the sound was almost child-like to Carol and Korey's ears, and had an immediate soothing effect. Carol left immediately and began repairing the front door as I gave Korey's arm a gentle tug and led him towards the sitting room that led into the kitchen. He sat down on the sofa I indicated towards with a hunch of my shoulders and I pulled a chair over from the breakfast nook and sat down, straddling it, my elbows leaning over the back. The cigarette tasted good to Jennifer, and using her technique, I blew a smoke ring over at Korey and smiled lazily. [/i]

"We call them eaters. They like to consume minds the way some of us got our first ones. Kill the vessel, take their thoughts with your bare hands. And lately they've all come for Carol."

"Knife girl?"

"And cleaver, and machete, and golf clubs. She's a fighter. But she's also a mother, and the mother of infinite children in her memories. She's a virtual goddess. It would take dozens of Eaters acting in concert to bring her down, and they hardly ever roam in packs."

"Oh. So you're Grace then."

"I am now. But I've only got one mind in me that isn't' really mine yet."

[i]I held up one finger in illustration, then carefully finished off the cigarette and ground it out on the nail of the same finger before flicking the butt into the wastebasket in the corner. Korey watched it sail through the air and land perfectly, then smiled back at me. The back door burst open with the sound of heavy breathing and nails clicking on hardwood floors. Escobar nudged it shut behind him and Carlotta leapt up, working the latch with her front paws.

Then they bounded over, circling my chair once and sniffing the hand that Korey held out to them. Josie made a harumphing sound in the back of her throat and trotted off to say hello to Carol, while Escobar laid his ears back just a little before shaking his head once, sneezing, and wandering off. Lastly, Carlotta blinked at Korey as she smelled the variety of scents on him, much like I did, picking up the smells of pavement, sweat, blood, and possibly thousands of others I just couldn't identify.[/i]

"You're like a blood hound?"

"I wish. My gifts run more towards animal instincts. Carol can do anything though. And Eros can too."

"You live with a Greek God?"

"He's upstairs. You'll meet him later if you stay for dinner. You Are staying right?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well you can't go out there. Carol just locked the front door."

[i]He opened his mouth to ask me how I knew that when she herself reappeared, holding a screwdriver and looking triumphant.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Ol' Fighter]

[I]"Dear Shizune...please rejoice and suffer no more...".

As I whispered this I felt her entire body in my arms run cold. I still couldn't get a grasp on the entire situation that has unfolded itself so wonderfully in my lap. All these memories, unexplainable actions, and worst of all these urges and wants.

Walking towards the house made me realize how tired I actually was. Not tired on a physical level nor mental, just tired of watching everyone else die and not take me with them. It has made me so angry and so sad at the same exact time.

"Shizune, why can't you take me with you, WHY!".

Looking upon her into my arms I felt a peculiar sensation throughout my entire body, that same exact feeling I have when I do something I know is foreign to my normal actions. When I figured out what was happening it was to late as memories started to flood my already crowded mind. I had just absorbed Shizune's memories.

"Death, you are a cruel man aren't you...awarding death to ones who don't want it but denying death to ones who deserve it...".

After thirty minutes of walking I approached the house only to be met by gunfire. The shot grazing my shoulder, the blood now slowly running down my arm.

"Good, death has finally heard my cries...COME ON KILL ME NOW!", I yelled at my invisible assailant, but the gunfire ceased and I heard a woman's voice. I couldn't hear what she or they were saying but I could feel a presence almost similar to mine and Shizunes, that same pain.

"If you've come for death your at the right house...", is all I could make of the woman's voice.

"Good...I've waited for this for some time now...", I replied loudly with a hint of arrogance in my words.

All I could think of was death and how sweet it would be but there was something else in my mind that still wanted to cope with this and beat it if possible. It all came down to whether I would die at this moment. If I lived, I'd search for a release from this hell but If I died it would make me so very happy.
[/I]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="DimGray"][I]I gazed at my newfound surroundings and tried to take it in all at once. The place looked serene and peaceful from the inside. You couldn't tell that they were trying to hide from the Eaters at all. Everyone looked like they just lived there lives normally. Carol had sealed me inside this place, so it looked like I had better make myself comfortable.

For a while I sat and observed Grace, as she puffed on the second cigarette she bummed off of me. She noticed me staring and laughed, but continued to blow smoke rings into the air. She had a calming air about her, and it made everyone in the immediate area feel at ease, including myself.

"So you gonna stare at me all day? Or are you gonna say something?"

"Sorry. Talking's not my thing."

"Well you better get used to it, because we're gonna be spending a lot of time with each other now. Why don't you start with 'My name is....' " She said teasingly, with a grin on her face.

My heart sank. Why do I have to constantly be reminded of the past when all I want to do is get over it? I didn't want anyone to know the horrors of my life. Then my brother's voice snuck into my head.

"Korey you need to just tell her. All the forgetting in the world won't help you get over it. "

Thanks, you asshole. My brother was always good at that. Preaching. I guess it's something big brothers are supposed to do and as little brothers, we're supposed to resist it until the sudden realization hits us. I sighed and began my futile explanation.

"My name is Korey, I'm 19 years old. I used to live in the area around San Bernadino, until about a year ago. I had an older brother, but he's gone now. Well, not really. His voice still lingers in my head. "

"Why are you roaming around here?" Grace interrupted.

"Ever since my brother died, the Eaters have hounded me non-stop. I was constantly attacked on my way home from work, when I was out with friends...everything. It drove me insane. My girlfriend wanted to leave me because of that. She couldn't take living in fear, hiding, locking the doors and windows at night. Then one night...." my voice trailed off and I stared down at the ground.

"Yeah?" Grace was on the edge of her seat.

"Nothing...forget it. It's all a memory now anyways. One I wish I could forget."

Grace looked at me and sighed. Her face showed one of diassapointment. She smiled.

"Well, the important thing is that you're safe and that you actually have a place to stay instead of being on the run. Don't worry, Carol and Eros keep us pretty safe."

'Safe? You just added another loony to your arsenal. Now they're gonna come in flocks' I grumbled to myself.[/I] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Imp]

[color=indigo][size=1]There I sat in the taxi, which was coasting down the highway at a relatively slow speed. (Okay, the driver was going the speed limit, but since I hold the memories of a racecar driver and an outlaw, I'm more used to zipping down these roads.) Remy had strictly told me to remain quiet during this trip before we parted at the airport, so being both a (semi-) faithful wife and an innately quiet person, I did just that. Occasionally the sounds of car horns and other cars zooming past and turning of engines threatened to bother me, but although I became much more sensitive to loud noises after Lupin died, I distracted myself by thinking about my family and friends who were all living on the East Coast, and Merlin was the first person who my thoughts decided to focus on.

I thought about the nights Merlin and I spent in Salem (which was also where he lived), nights that were usually finished off with either a visit to Gallows Hill to communicate with a few ethereal companions, or an inspiring conversation on some paranormal topic. I especially recollect the wonderful discussion we had about vampires. That conversation proved that even if I embarrass myself early on, I still leave conversations with Merlin inspired and uplifted, as if he touched my mind with the Light of Knowledge. Specifically, I embarrassed myself my opening the conversation with a joke about what a vampire could possibly do to get a tan, only to find later that vampires didn't fear sunlight. But then he told me a few stories about how that...

SCREEEECH!
The taxi halted so abruptly that the average person would have smashed his/her face against the front seat. Fortunately, I reacted quickly--I jumped up in my seat and threw my legs out in front of me, to act as a cushion for the sudden impact.
[i]What was that?!?[/i] I thought.
Before I could think too much about what just happened, though, I glimpsed two dark shadows blocking the back doors of the taxi...

Immediately upon seeing the two... creatures... I jerked into a crouching position, slipped right out of my seatbelt, and sprang into the space between the two front seats. Then, I did something I myself was surprised at: I reached into the catatonic driver's pocket and took out a few dollar bills. At least I did that quickly, for just then the dark shapes began to position themselves behind the front doors instead of the back doors. I opened the passenger's door and shoved it open, smacking the... whatever it was... so hard that it faltered a bit and began to stumble backwards. I used this squeeze space to escape from the vehicle, which had apparently exited the freeway while I was lost in thought. I vaulted the hood of one car, landed on the sidewalk, and dashed along an alleyway, figuring I could lose these guys if I weaved enough and used Lupin's speed to my advantage.

I was right. I eventually lost them by "pulling a Lupin"--in other words, turning a corner and hiding in a small space between buildings, thus causing my pursuers to run right past me. Catching my breath without panting too audibly, I gathered myself together and decided to take a look at my surroundings. The first thing I noticed, by a huge stroke of rare luck, was an estate, in the front of which was a sign I could barely read, but I made out the name "Young" amidst the contents, and took immediate notice of the black rose inscribed on the centre of the silver gate. Half a black rose, rather, for the gate was open.

While making my way to the estate, I took a look at the money I had just stolen from the cab driver, and counted eighteen dollars. Not bad, I figured, for it being loose money rather than a whole wallet. After stuffing the bills into a hidden pocket on the inside of Lupin's coat, I took a moment to think about what just happened--or rather, what I just did (since I still don't know who ambushed the taxi).

After crossing the street and walking down the path through the front garden, I came to the actual building and... I thought about knocking, but knocking on the door of someone I didn't even know, the door of a madhouse? That would have been embarrassing, not to mention I wasn't sure whether or not I had actually been invited here. I didn't even know why I was here in the first place... all I knew that Warren told me to get to this place, and call him from there the following morning at 6AM. It sounded like he was going to send the police after me if I didn't call... so this must be important to me. But how??

Pressing my ear to the door, I could hear bits and pieces of a conversation... One young man supposedly introduced himself as "Korey". Then a young woman asked him why he was here, to which Korey replied by mentioning something about being attacked my "Eaters", whoever they were. A while later, there was a pause, and then Korey mentioned something about "it all being a memory".
[i]What does all this mean?[/i] I pondered as I turned the doorknob (a solid gold one with a rose design on it), only to find the door was locked. [i]What in the world is an Eater?[/i]

I heard the next bit of the conversation loud and clear. The woman mentioned the young man "being safe and having a place to stay instead of being on the run", and that a Carol and an Eros kept "us" pretty safe. Then Korey mentioned the woman "adding another looney to her arsenal". But I wasn't here to listen in on long conversations; I was here to enter this building. So I took something out my pocket that resembled a coin purse, folded out a couple of needle-like objects from it and...

The conversation seemed to halt as I picked the lock, no matter how quietly I tried to do so. I turned the golden doorknob, opened the door just enough so I could peek in... and the first things I noticed were knives flying at me. To dodge this unwelcome greeting, I slipped into the foyer and ducked, all in two quick, jerky motions. Smirking in the exact same way that Celia, Lupin, [i]and[/i] Panther would have after performing such a feat, I stood up and faced the woman who had thrown the knives at me.

"Well now, it's a good thing I haven't lost my touch; otherwise you would have ended up killing an innocent, something that is very very bad indeed."
[i]What was that?!? That was so not like me--that was Celia's tone of voice paired with Lupin's criminal wisdom...[/i][/color][/size]

OOC: I would set up a conversation with Grace, Korey, and Carol, but then my post would be too long...

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]The entire time the female had been sneaking up to the door, Carlotta and Josie were already waiting. I'd given them the non verbal signal to heel and lie down. Carol had already heard her approach, already armed herself, and pulled out two of the four throwing knives she kept in her purse. Not for eaters, but merely to hold back a moderately human attacker. I picked myself up and whirled around in a flash of denim, black velvet and Glock. Two warning shots to either side of her head, just as a note to tell her that my aim was almost as good as Carol's.[/i]

"Good thing my morality's been skewed ever since it began. Nobody's innocent in this world anymore little girl. And I don't believe in doing bad things. I believe in living."

[i]She recoiled almost perfectly but found herself staring down into Josie's open maw from her position, her other escape route blocked off by the tall male who had identified himself as Korey.

Carol walked a few steps away from the kitchen, her tone completely casual.[/i]

"I heard you picking the lock, turning on 12th street, and the way your breathing accelerated when you began to break into our house."

[i]The intruder opened her mouth briefly to speak, perhaps to voice an explanation when I raised a casual eyebrow at her and put a bit of Jennifer's schoolteacher tone into my voice. Carol had given me a signal by twitching a muscle in her left leg and wiggling her toes just right. The girl had a tell she'd just picked up on with both her vision and hearing.[/i]

"No lies in this house. We'll kill you for dishonesty. Carol can always tell when someone's lying."

"What if I was going to tell the truth but thought about lying first?"

"We could kill you anyway and dump the corpse somewhere for the eaters to get a hold of. You should've knocked. Not come sneaking in like a body snatcher."

[i]Here, Carlotta trotted downstairs with Eros behind her. He stood, tall and slim on the staircase, an utterly beautiful male creature, his gold flecked eyes watching her impartially. Then he spoke as well, his tone flat and almost sarcastic.[/i]

"So are we going to shoot her first or just torture her a little for information?"

"Don't you mean pump?"

[i]I put a laugh into my voice, and strolled behind Korey, who felt as tense as a drawn garotte wire. Eros grinned at me. Some days he really did live up to his name. He felt sex the way a human female and a human male did. For him it was almost a spiritual experience. But I never slept with someone with more personalities than me, and Carol was almost completely beyond that. Instead he leaned on the banister casually, one hand on his narrow hip.[/i]

"Pump, torture, it'll be the same thing for her if we do it right."

[i]The girl stood up slowly, and made no sudden moves, catching the glint of steel in Carol's slightly hidden left hand, but missing the glow in her eyes that meant she'd smelled the fear as well as the contradicting feelings that meant more than just one other person in her mind.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][I][COLOR="DimGray"]I carefully studied our newfound visitor. She had a hint of danger about her, as to say that she had been through some sort of trauma within her life. I might not be a living sonar device like Carol, or a human bloodhound like Grace, but I was good at observing people. I had done that for most of my life, sat from far away and observed people as they passed by, living their lives. The moms running after their kids screaming their names as the kids laughed while leading their moms on a wild goose chase that inevitably ended up with them being caught. The couples swooning all over each other and showering each other with kisses and other public displays of affection. The various animals that would get the food scraps left over from discarded leftovers found in trash cans, you get the point.

I saw the girl twitch and knew she was plotting something. I didn't wait for the others to make a move. I immediately walked over to her and she lunged at me,with a knife that was previously lodged in the door drawn. I immediately pushed her aside and tripped her, using her forward momentum to my advantage. I stood in my stance, ready for her to get up and attack again. At this point I wasn't thinking like myself, this was my brother all in control. He was a master of Wu Shu, and while it was a performance martial art...my brother knew how to apply it to self-defense. Our new found intruder picked herself up off the floor and began to circle me, looking for an opening in my defense. Although it was probably pointless of her to attack me, seeing as she would immediately be gunned down , the others stood and watched me work, perhaps ascertaining what skills I possessed. I wasn't going to wait all day for her to attack me, I needed to disable her so that we could get whatever info we needed from her and move on. I started to move in and she swiped at me with the knife, missing by mere centimeters. I could feel the air moving off of the blade. I waited until she became predictable and immediately swept her off her feet. She dropped the knife upon landing on the hardwood floor and I raised my foot above my head and sent it flying back down in an axe kick. I don't hold back when I fight, especially when my life's on the line. Gender made no difference to me. I'd been fighting for my life enough to not care about killing my opponent or not. When you're fighting Eaters to save your own life, you have to develop a killer instinct. The blow came down with an impressive thud as my heel crashed into my opponents stomach. I felt her stomach muscles cave in as the blow hit, and with a gasp she fell unconscious. Trying to kill me or not, I still needed this girl's info. Then she can be turned over to my newly made "family". I relaxed my muscles, letting out a sigh. I heard a clapping noise and turned to see Grace approaching me with a sadistic grin on her face.

"Impressive. Didn't know that you could beat up a girl so nicely."

"She's tougher than she looks. Normally that could have killed a person."

"Well let's hope you're that rough in other areas, not just fighting." She said teasingly.

I lifted our unconcscious friend and put her on the couch. We would get to the bottom of this when she awoke.

I went outside and found a nice quiet spot to relax. I took off my shirt and sat down on the overgrown grass. I closed my eyes and tried to relax and meditate. It's something my brother's consciousness had put into my brain. I cleared out all the things in my head and tried to remain perfectly in balance with my surroundings. I heard birds chirping, felt the breeze blowing and from far away cold hear the waves crashing against the water. With my mind fully cleared, I stood up and readied myself in a stance. I began to do an old Wu Shu routine that my brother did when he practiced it. For as much as I hated my brother and his popularity, it was really exciting for me to watch him do his routines. The grace in his movements; the fluidity of them just captivated me. Now those abilities had been passed onto me. I struck the air violently as I went through the routine. I wasn't upset, it was just how my brother did it. I heard the back door open, but that didn't stop me from finishing up. I leaped into the air and struck it with my outstretched legs in a fan pattern. I landed and let out a large sigh as I went back into my stance. Then I peered over to see Grace looking at me with attentive eyes. She seemed to be studying me. Seizing the perfect opportunity, I quipped...

"What? You have a staring problem?"

She giggled and nodded. She had such a cute smile. This seemed to be so natural for her. I couldn't help but laugh a little myself. I felt a warmness within my cheeks. I hadn't felt that for a long time now. What was this feeling?[/COLOR][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Imp]

[color=indigo][size=1]I let out a sharp cry, though due to the agony it came out more like a gasp, when Korey kicked me. I fell backward onto the floor--an action that would have lasted less than a second, but seemed to me to last quite a bit longer than that...
[i]Panther's flexibility, Lupin's reflexes, they failed me...[/i] I thought as I fell. [i]It seems as though I was up against someone with years of intense martial arts training... And how did Korey know that my stomach was my weak spot, what with the stomach problems both Lupin and Celia had? ...But why are these people all against me? I didn't do anything wrong--well, I didn't hurt anybody! And I never intended to! If they're acting on the simple question of mistrust, they've got serious problems... well then this is a madhouse, so maybe overreaction's their problem. Why do they want to tort...[/i]
And then my head banged against the hard wood floor, and I thought no more.

...That is, until I had a dream... a flashback rather...
[i]I, a little boy no older than six, stood in the darkness of my room, illuminated merely by a streetlamp behind me in the distance. My legs quivered as I took a couple paces to the door, for I heard my parents conversing with another. As I pressed my ear against the door, I was able to make out what they were saying...
"...and I'm just sorry how it turned out," Mum apologised. "And to think, all this time I've hoped for a girl, and Edwin came along instead. Now if only..."
"But what if we could fix that?" My father's amused tone of voice surprised me--I was so used to him sounding harsh.
"...Fix it? How?"
"... ...Ah! I love you Elizabeth--you've just given me a brilliant idea!"

The sound of footsteps approached me, and I heard my dad grumbling inaudibly as it approached. I backed away from the door as it opened, but I had no time to react. My father grabbed me by the wrist with one hand, and came upon my face with a ring of handkerchief with the other. Moments later I was muffled, startled, and being dragged along with my wrists held together over my wavy-haired head. I caught a brief glimpse of my mum, who was slack-jawed with worry.
"Henry!" she barked. "Where are you t..." and then she stopped, dead silent.

As Dad led me down the hallway, I glimpsed a pair of scissors in his other hand--large, perhaps the kind used for gardening. Uh-oh, what was I in for this time? Darker, darker, the hall got... then... light! ...Dad dragged me into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and grabbed hold of my clothes, wrenching them off one piece at a time until I was completely nude. Then he tied my wrists together, hoisted me up, and nearly threw me in the empty bathtub. As I looked up, I saw him reach for something... and he approached me with the same pair of shears he had before.
"Get ready Edwin, or... what did your mummy want to call you? Sophie?"
Then he pressed my chest to the floor, and my head went along with it, hitting the floor as well. I then saw him lower the shears...[/i]

I, a little woman no older than twenty-seven, sat up with a start, panting slightly at the intensity of the dream. Then I groaned, both because of the pain in my stomach and the fact that I once again had a nightmare about Lupin's past.

The first person I saw when I awoke was a woman with varicoloured eyes, and an air that was almost... goddesslike. She made a hand gesture to another man in the room, who started to approach me. While he was doing so, the woman spoke.
"Rise and shine, Eater bait." Here she glided one of her throwing knives past my chin, as if to caress me with it. "Now, I can make this easy or I can make this hard. Which do you prefer, hm?"
I said nothing at first, still dazed a bit by the flashback. I just adjusted to her tone of voice, which resembled a mother talking to her outstandingly cute four-year-old daughter, yet secretly wanting to pinch her so hard on the cheek that she would cry. But while contemplating this, I noticed her tone of voice change into a more serious one.
"Who are you, and why are you here? Remember, no lies."

I stared plainly into her face, just as Celia did when she wanted to say something inevitably true to someone.
"I am Kel... Yamiko Murakage, and I have no clue why I'm supposed to be here. My husband practically dragged me onto the airplane, and whenever I asked the two policemen buffeting me what was going on, they wouldn't answer."
As I spoke, I noticed the woman's brow start to furrow. I then started speaking more hurriedly.
"I was just told to come to this place--I don't even know if I was actually welcome in the first place! I was... shy! And my picking the lock... that was my wou..."

"What is [i]really[/i] your name?" the woman interrupted.
"Yamiko Murakage. ...Well, my name was originally Kelsey; I changed it to Yamiko as a way of giving thanks to my great-grandmother."

Much to my relief, the woman nodded.
"And why did you break in, rather than knocking?"

"I..."
I paused for a moment, trying to decide how to best answer this without accidentally lying.
"Well, p-p-partially it was because I was too shy to knock--I have this sort of anxiety about talking to strangers. A-a-and it was because of my would-be husband, who died eight years ago. I-I-I find it hard to stop thinking about him, and sometimes I end up acting like him... like just now.
I paused again.
"...He was a..."

Too late. The woman grabbed me by the wrist and stood up, snapping her fingers at the man from before. I was appalled.
"What? That [i]was[/i] the tr..."
The woman glared at me, as if she was going to kill me if I said another word.

[i]But I[/i] was[i] telling the truth. I didn't even try to lie! Was it something in the way I spoke that made me seem dishonest?[/i]
I sighed and decided not to fight against whatever she tried to do.
[i]Great, just my luck... as usual.[/i][/color][/size]

OOC: I would have Grace talk to her instead, but I didn't want to interrupt anything going on outside...

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][RIGHT][FONT="Times New Roman"]"I have no problems. Not like the ones that girl will have when she tries to lie to Carol again."

[i]Grace smirked at Korey and leaned against the cedar beams of the garden trellis. Then she abruptly turned and did a handspring forward into the grass of the garden while Carlotta and Josie barked and howled, running parallel next to me. Then I turned and vaulted upwards onto the beam Carol had set up for me with a little help from Eros's first ex girlfriend; Cheryl. I landed and stood upright, four feet from the ground, feeling right at home as my feet felt out each of the grooves in the wood, feeling the grain patterns with the tips of my toes.

Then I abruptly used one hand for a cartwheel forward, and slid down into the splits. I gripped the sides of the beam with both hands and turned, gripping with my fingers, locking up my arms and reversing my hold. Bringing back both legs, keeping them straight, pointing the toes I balanced on one leg, kicked forward, then back in the same motion and stood in the scorpion stance for longer than was usual. I smelled Korey's scent change and then released, flipped to one side and landed in a crouch, one knee up and one knee touching the grass.[/i]

"So we have problems. Let's call it even."

[i]He held out his hand in a casual way and I took it, then abruptly jerked him behind me and whirled around, sinking into a stationary Capoeira stance. Korey laughed and began his attack.[/i]


[i]Carol fingered the edge of her first throwing knife, the loop around her first finger. The girl flinched and Carol leaned back slightly, jerking her arm upright, keeping her legs straight all the while. She laughed, her eyes shifting color and flashing like opals all the while. And from behind, Eros took Yamiko's wrists from Carol's hands. He let her dangle and she willed herself to remain still. As if Carol knew her thoughts, she leaned forward just a little and smiled darkly.[/i]

"That's right. If you started struggling I'd put two of these through your calves and two through your thighs."

[i]Yamiko's eyes didn't widen, but Carol knew she'd only kept her face clear because of the male's pride. That male would certainly be interesting later. But either way, she gave Eros a nod and he lowered her arms and handcuffed her to one of the several marble pillars in the foyer instead. Just as she was beginning to embrace the coldness, she saw an older woman come down the staircase to her left. Carol turned and rushed up to help her down the rest of the way. Her hair was completely white, and her eyes almost clouded over with age. Yamiko's brow furrowed slightly as she tried to get a better look by twisting her neck around when she recoiled and saw Eros's right hand very close to her cheek.[/i]

"Now now, it's not polite to gawk. Very rude my pretty little turtledove. We must be polite to Mrs. Young. She's not very young anymore you know. And rather mad."

[i]As if to confirm his matter of fact statements, Mrs. Young withdrew a lighter from her pocket and a cigarette from the other, then stumped across the living room to the backyard where the sounds of Korey and Grace fighting were drifting through the open sliding glass door. She cackled as she went, completely ignoring the handcuffed girl standing in her foyer, until of course she reached for the screen door and turned around and waggled a finger at the prisoner.[/i]

"She'll be trouble if you keep her tied up Eros. Mark my words. Best to let her free roam with Escobar tailing her."

[i]Hearing his name, Escobar perked his knife-shaped ears and wagged his tail appreciatively. Eros shrugged casually and Carol gave all present parties a pleasant smile.[/i]

"Well that's fine then. I'll just go finish dinner then."[/FONT][/RIGHT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Gray"]Sparring with Grace was definitely a different experience. Her movements rang true to her moniker, full of grace and fluditiy. I matched her movements with my own. I threw moves at her, but I didn't make contact with her, because I knew that this was just play fighting and I didn't want to accidently hurt her. We moved around the yard, tossing out moves at each other. All this time I was content. Not my brother, me. I was always thinking it was my brother's consciousness doing the work whenever I fought, but this was all my doing. I wasn't upset, I wasn't happy. I was just content with my body. Grace threw a spinning back kick and I nimbly dodged it and tried to punish her for missing such a big move by moving in closer but to my surpise, her face was right where I had intended to be. I stopped dangerously close from her lips, and found myself staring at her eyes. Those deep pools that were aged with the experiences of life. For someone so young, Grace had been through a lot. I didn't utter a word, didn't pull back. I just stared. I couldn't think of anything. Thankfully I was saved by the sound of Carol's voice.

"Ok you two, enough making out in the backyard," She teased, "Dinner is ready."

I turned away, grabbed my shirt and walked back into the house. Grace stood there, bewildered by what just happened. As I made my way into the kitchen I saw Carol finishing up setting the table and an elder woman sitting at the table staring off into the distance. I went to say something but Eros interupted me before I could utter anything.

"Best not to say anything to her right now. She's in her zone right now. She can get quite violent if you interrupt her. She'll talk to you later. Come, sit down over here" Eros motioned to a chair on the opposite side of the table.

This was surreal, sitting down for dinner with people who had just tried to attack me not even 3 hours before. Carol set the dishes down on the table and I sat down and offered to help her, but Carol smiled and waved me off.

"You're our guest. Let us take care of you for now, sweetie."

The maternal sound in Carol's voice reminded me of my own mother. My mom might have been one of the only people who didn't judge me for who I was. Even if I didn't have any friends or wasn't involved in any activities, my mom was supportive of me and always greeted me with a smile on her face. I haven't the slightest clue how she put with me all of those years before she died of lung cancer, but I could see that in Carol. Grace came into the kitchen and took her spot to the right of the older woman on the opposite side of the table from me. Eros took a spot next to me and Carol sat down to the left of the older woman.

"Shouldn't we..." I stammered out before Carol interrupted me.

"She's coming, I can hear her coming down the steps."

Yamiko strolled into the Kitchen with a cautious look on her face and sat down next to Grace. Carol bobbed her head and held out her hands, in which she linked her hands with the older woman and Eros. Even if the world was going crazy, it was good to know that people still tried to believe in some sort of divine body. I bobbed my head in respect and took Eros's hand. Then the elderly woman spoke for the first time.

""Dear Lord, thank You for this meal we are about to receive. We ask that Your divine Providence continues to keep us safe from the hell that has been unleashed upon Your Kingdom. Keep us safe from further harm as we continue to sing Your praises and worship You alone. In your Son's name we pray, Amen.""

"Amen" The crowd replied in unison.

Amen, indeed.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Imp]

[color=indigo][size=1]I released my hands from those of Eros and Grace the instant everyone said "Amen". I was extremely thankful that I didn't have to hold hands with Korey--in fact, I refused to look at him (or Grace) as I settled in my seat. Instead I glanced off into space, my eyes deciding to rest on either the dogs or Mrs. Young, the only ones here who so far have not done anything harmful to me. For a while I pondered how I was supposed to survive here, in a house containing people who seemed to be against me. Actually, I wouldn't have been surprised if Carol had just killed me then and there, and served me for dinner.

A while later, I saw Carol stand up and head over to the counter, probably to get the first dish. As she did, I saw Carlotta and Josie gaze at her and follow her around, and guessed that Carol had told the dogs that if they dared bark while food was around, they would become tomorrow's main course. Speaking of the main course, the dish Carlotta brought back smelled delicious, kind of like a well-cooked vegetable dish of some sort. But when she passed it around the table, I fought the urge to frown or giggle, as it was a tofu dish, with green beans and garlic and a scrumptious-looking sauce.
[i]Now who would have thought she's vegetarian?[/i] I thought. [i]Then again, maybe she isn't, and just likes the taste of tofu. If that's the case, she's just like me.[/i]

Not surprisingly, the dish was passed to me last. Carol handed the dish to Grace first, after helping herself to some. The dish went clockwise around the table from there.
"You did a good job tonight," Carol said to Korey before heading back to the counter, "but be careful when sparring outside, all right?"
Then she whispered something to him that I couldn't hear, probably something that either concerned me or Mrs. Young.

Speaking of Mrs. Young, she seemed to be staring off into space just like I occasionally was. Maybe she, too, had a lot on her mind, and maybe her thoughts were negative just like mine were... was she, perhaps, not pleased with the company? Or was she just reluctant to be social because she was older than everyone else? For a moment, she reminded me of Celia--she seemed to have that same air of reclusiveness, as if she would become deeply annoyed if anyone disturbed her state of mind. That was the sort of attitude that prevented people from getting along well with other people, but perhaps, like Celia, that was her purpose... She was almost the opposite of me, if that was true. I tried to remain open and friendly to those around me, but I was afraid to speak because I might just cause more trouble.

Eros then placed the dish on front of me, but I didn't do anything with it. True, it looked and smelled delicious (not to mention I love tofu myself), but I tried my best to ignore it, and kept my hands folded underneath the table. I had the urge to pull out my mobile and check to see if anyone tried to call me, but thought that that would be rude. The last thing I wanted was to do anything else that seemed rude--in fact, that was part of the reason why I kept quiet at the table, even though Carol just spoke a while ago. I wondered if it was also rude to refuse to eat anything at the table--I faintly remembered that being the case, but how would I know? I never took a class in etiquette before, anyway. The thought kept bugging me though, but I really didn't want to eat anything right now, especially not if Carol cooked it. I just couldn't accept anything from someone who was on the verge of killing me moments before. Besides, I didn't want to put anything in my stomach when it hurt so badly.

Then Carol walked around the table with a teapot in hand, pouring tea for everyone as she passed. It was oolong tea, one of my favourites--it was as if Carol knew what I liked. As Carol did so, I looked down to see Escobar sitting next to me, sniffing at my hand. I smiled weakly at the mostly-black dog, gliding my hand along the top of his head and rubbing behind his ears. He growled softly, a sound I didn't know whether to take as a compliment or a threat. Nevertheless, I continued to pet him for a while, gazing at him with compassion and understanding. It seemed I was quite popular with dogs or the like--maybe it was partially because of my fond reverence of nature, and/or the fact that I used to have a boyfriend named Lupin. Yet my compassion conflicted with my worry about the people around me, thus causing a tear to run down my cheek.

"You got to let this brew longer," Mrs. Young commented after taking a sip of the tea. "I would have not thought you'd be so distracted as to forget this, but..."
It was then that Mrs. Young glanced at me. Then she shook her head and spoke to Carol again.
"Never mind, it's all right for now. There's no use getting fussy over anything on the first night."
Then she sighed and started thinking about things.

I was so tempted to leave the table at this point, to take a walk outside, clear my mind a bit, and then settle in later. I started to open my mouth to ask if I could be excused, but Eros interrupted me.
"You shouldn't interrupt Mrs. Young at this point. We'll all have the chance to talk to her later, perhaps."

I then rose slightly in my seat and turned around to face Carol.
"Erm, may I..."

"No, you may not," Carol interrupted, "and my name is Carol, not Erm. It's not safe for you to go wandering off on your own, with all those Eaters about."
I frowned. "...Eaters? What are 'eaters'?"

Grace answered for me.
"They kill people and absorb their abilities and memories. They are not very intelligent, and act more like beasts of a sort, but they are persistent little pests."

"Hmm..." I wondered. "I think I might have encountered a couple of them on the way here, then... but are there really people who do that?"
[i]Come to think of it, they sound almost like psychic vampires, who feed by extracting energy from one's aura.[/i]

"Haven't you been reading the news lately?" Grace inquired. "It's becoming a nationwide epidemic."

"Oh, no, I haven't," I replied. "I've been too caught up with my own family nowadays. But that is an interesting way to do it--it's almost as if the Eaters 'eat' the very souls of those they kill. Come to think of it, a captured soul provides more power to the possessor of it, so no wonder they do it. They must be pretty psychically skilled or gifted to do so."

"Perhaps," Grace surmised.

"By the way, I'm sorry about 'breaking in' to this place. You see, my would-be husband used to be very good at picking locks, and I can't help but act like him most of the time... I'm even wearing his coat, you see. He died eight years ago."

Grace's eyebrows rose.
"I don't suppose you have access to his memories too?"

I was astonished.
"...How did you know that? Yes, and I even have dreams about his past... it's almost as if I've absorbed his soul too, maybe 'pulled an Eater'."

Grace shook her head.
"Eaters are people who gave grown insane by absorbing the memories of too many people. Usually two to four individuals can turn one into an Eater. It is a mystery why people have been able to acquire these memories and abilities, though."

"Hmm, you really know a lot about this, don't you?"

"Well, part of it is because I hold such a memory myself," Grace remarked in a casual way.

"So that's why we're all here..." I wondered out loud, glancing around at everyone and taking a sip of my tea (I thought it tasted fine, despite what Mrs. Young said). One sip couldn't hurt, and I had to be polite somehow...[/color][/size]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Gray"]I paused and looked at Yamiko. It was an indignant stare full of hate and malice. This girl was so naive, so unaware of the hell that's been going around and the reason why we're all here is because we share an ability? I snickered at the thought.

"I don't care about the 'reason' we're all here. Frankly I don't believe in that kind of thing. Fate is something that you make happen yourself. It isn't predestination or anything like that. Don't be so stupid to think that we were destined to meet each other. Curiosity killed the cat in both our cases, yours ending up with a swift kick to the gut."

"Now now, children I won't take arguing at my table. If you have issues, you need to work them out because we'll be spending a long time here. I'm not asking you to like each other, I'm asking you to respect each other enough to not hurt each other," Carol quipped.

I sat in silence and ate my meal without objection. I had been scrounging around for whatever food I could obtain, often breaking into dilapidated supermarkets or corner stores to grab whatever hadn't rotted yet. Carol definitely knew how to cook and the thought of a home-cooked meal actually reminded me of a meal that me and my brother shared once.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[COLOR="Black"]"Just think about it baby, would you?" My brother quipped as he stuffed another bite of food into his mouth.

"I don't know, Jason it's a little sudden. I mean, I love you and all, but I'm not ready to make that kind of commitment yet." his girlfriend said under a shaky tone.

"Well, if you change your mind...my offer still stands," Jason replied as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Ugh, I hated spending time with my brother and his girlfriend, Arlene. She was my epitome of fakers. She was so pure, so virginal that it made me sick. Their relationship was something out of a storybook. My brother had met her at a party he attended and they hit it off real fast. They always made every decision mutually and almost never had a serious argument. They were always happy and smiling and kissing. Blech, what a load of BS. Jason turned to me and smiled.

"So Korey, what have you been up to? It's been ages since we've spoken."

" Nothing in particular, you know me."

" Got any giirrrrrrllllll prospects?" he teased.

I shot him a glare. He smirked, knowing that was the one thing that ruffled my feathers.

"Not as of yet, although I must say I haven't done much looking."

"I need to take you out then, show you a good time. I know tons of girls who would flock to you. I mean, you're my brother, so you're not [I]that[/I] ugly."

I actually smirked at that comment. As much I didn't like my brother and Arlene, my brother was actually nice to have on occasion. Mostly I just hated him for his popularity. He never had to try, it just came to him. So it was easy to say that kind of thing.

"Well, maybe I'll go this weekend. Why the hell not?"

"Alright! That's the spirit!"

Arlene giggled and I just sat there and finished my meal. I realized I couldn't shut out my brother, because he was the only family I had left. Deadbeat dad, and mom died a few years ago. My brother had a hell of a time raising me by himself, but he demanded that I was not placed in foster care or in care of other family members. Somehow, he did it. I smiled a half smile again and with that my dream was interrupted by Grace's voice...
[/COLOR]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, so the boy can smile. That's nice to know. Care to share with the rest of the class?"

" Oh just bringing up something I actually care to remember. If you're a good girl, I might tell you," I teased.

I sighed and was brought back into reality. Jason was dead, so was Arlene. Everyone was gone. No more nights, no more pain. I realized that while the past was important, that my brother wasn't coming back. Now I have to live for him, because he is me....in a sense.

[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Grace absentmindedly bussed her plate to the sink and began to load her dishes, rinsing out her water glass as if in half ritual half awake. She put down the plates in the rack and looked over the counter towards the table. Eros and Carol were sharing some hidden joke that had gone right over Yamiko's head. Mrs. Young was contemplating two pieces of green bean on the end of her fork when she whipped her head around and spoke in a voice as dark as a young man's and not at all the quavering voice of an old woman.[/i]

"They're climbing the first wall. Get the dogs inside and put Yamiko away with them."

[i]Carol immediately snapped her head around and Korey could've sworn her eyes expanded well beyond the confines of her eyelids, when they went back to normal. Eros was already standing and dragging a stiff Yamiko across the room, Escobar and Carlotta's nails clicking on the hardwood floor. Mrs. Young was already standing and putting her plates in the sink. He turned over to see Grace's nostrils flaring like a dog on the hunt.

I smelled Eaters. Rotten to the core, like apples that were left out for too long. They were getting closer all the while. Feeling the hairs on my neck sparkle and rise up of their own accord, I reached down to my thigh for the Glock, and flicked the safety off. In an instant Carol was standing next to me, moving faster than I'd thought she was.[/i]

"We'll pick them off one at a time. Korey can help."

[i]He looked over when Carol spoke his name and I smirked just a little. I'd seen raids like this before. Inevitably, more than one Eater would try to get at us, and it was just a matter of taking them apart before they massed. Ignoring them long enough would make them turn on each other, but there was always a mess to clean up afterwards. I laughed aloud like a child this time around and bounded over to the back door, hearing Carol sharpening two of her knives against each other. Both in her left hand, she flicked them expertly, her wrist moving in a blur. Korey stood as well, pulling his lanky frame up from the table.

Eros was nowhere to be seen, but Josie was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, her long tail frisking back and forth jauntily, as if she were already savoring the flesh of the Eaters we would kill. A rattle at the far wall, from the chains we'd taken the liberty of stringing across the middle and top of the fences made everyone's hearing sharpen. And Josie rose to her feet and she let out a long, low growl.[/i]

"Easy Jo' girl."

[i]Her tail stiffly wagged, but her ears were pinned back, nearly flat against the sides of her head. With a stealthy movement, Carol gently pulled the sliding glass door from its only mildly ajar position to wide open. I smiled once and then as if on cue, Korey and I flung ourselves out into the wide back yard, my Glock nearly glowing red in my hands. Behind me I could hear Josie howling with sheer animalistic delight, and Carol's voice rose in pitch to meet hers.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="SlateGray"]What the hell is going on? They must have found us. That's alright, because I have some anger to get out anyways. My thoughts were racing as I bounded into the backyard and waited for them to show up. My work would be cut out for me compared to Grace and Carol. Unlike them, I had no projectile weapons to assist me. I had to be careful not to charge in too far, lest I be surrounded. I readied myself, and felt my heartbeat rise as I heard them coming closer and closer. You could always hear eaters coming, ambling along clumsily, almost tripping over themselves. Their hunger for more memories always threw them into a frenzy, especially when I was around. I finally picked up their distinct shriek. It was one to drive a person insane. Ever heard of nails against the chalk board? Try a metal garden rake against a chalkboard, then you'll get it.

The first wave pounced over the wall. This was odd. seeing as Eaters mostly were solitary hunters and only came in packs if they were part of a scavenging group trying to pick up the scraps left by the original Eater. There was something coordinated to their attack. I charged in, meeting an eater with an uppercut in the lower jaw as it sprang at me. I sent the creature flying with a fierce straight punch to its disfigured facade. Then the inevitable happened. I was surrounded by three of them who took the opportunity of keeping Grace and Carol busy with flanking attacks. This was bad. They all sprang at me. I took the first two out with palm strikes to their abdomens but I couldn't stop the third, who sprang from behind me. I looked back, with a genuine fear in my eyes. How could I have been so stupid. To my surprise, the Eater exploded right in front of me, drenching me with its purple blood. Then I heard the familiar sound of a sniper rifle follow it. I looked towards the house and saw a gun barrel smoke and a flash of a scope. Eros was watching the entire time, waiting for a clear shot. Good to know that I had backup. I smirked and continued fending them off in droves. These were weaker variety Eaters. Not too hard to deal with, just annoying in numbers. I wondered at the quantity of them. Eaters didn't attack in these numbers. I heard Grace whistle, signaling for me to pull back. I had gone out too far, even for Eros to cover me. I sprinted back towards the house and waited for the second wave to come in. There was always a second wave. Then it hit me...

"THE FIRST ONE WAS A SCOUT! THEY WERE TRYING TO SEE IF WE'D ATTACK IT!! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!" I screamed back to the house.

They were going to overrun us. Nothing left to do but run now.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Mrs. Young was standing at the far window, watching the outbuildings, watching her adopted children running back into the house, shrieking with fear, running with purpose, their heads a mishmash of frightened thoughts. She took another hit, exhaled slowly, and breathed the smoke out far enough to give her a halo when she tilted her head just right.[/i]

"Guess it's all up to me after all."

[i]Eros pulled his rifle in, reloaded, and jerked down his window, setting the kevlar blinds and locking the bolts behind them. Carol slammed the door behind her and pulled down the iron barriers that they'd reclaimed from burned out convenience stores that weren't using them anymore anyway. Korey looked up in surprise as Grace quickly jerked down the ones over every exposed window and door. The bolts were thrown and they stood for a few minutes, merely breathing hard.[/i]

"Did you steal those fro-"

"7/11."

[i]Carol calmly began filling one of her purses with what looked like packets of razor blades in plastic cases. She turned to him and flicked a couple between her fingers, catching them and swirling one on the pad of her first finger.[/i]

"We can withstand quite a bit of abuse when we go on lockdown. It's happened before you know."

"You're kidding me."

[i]Grace began reloading and strapping what looked like a bandolier across her waist.[/i]

"Nope. Happened just last week."

[i]The dogs began pacing in the foyer and then Carlotta sat and looked up at the window just above the door. Grace looked up with her, then took a running start across the living room and did a handspring back onto the staircase, landing on one of the banisters. She stared at it one more time, blinked twice, and leapt upwards, twisting her body forward, catching herself on the windowsill. She put her legs on either side of the wall and pushed herself up, locking herself in place. Then she twisted one arm back and gestured at Carol.[/i]

"Point of entry if they get past the first line."

"Line?"

[i]Carol opened her laptop on the kitchen table and began to type. Korey looked over her shoulder and saw the floorplan of the house highlighted in red and green. She pointed to lines around the property.[/i]

"First line of defense isn't what you just saw. That was just us putting out feelers."

"YOU KNEW WHAT TH-"

[i]Carol held up a hand that combined both power with absolute serenity. She continued in a voice so calm it soothed the dogs who finally stopped pacing As she spoke she tossed up a metal plate to Grace, who flicked over to Jennifer's raw strength and caught it in a quick movement before slapping it up against the window.[/i]

"We wanted to see what you could do. We already knew what Grace could do."

[i]Korey stared blankly while Carol did a little typing and then snapped the laptop shut again.[/i]

"We have about two hours to go. We'll be able to use that time to both prep the escape hatch in the basement and see how the house holds up."

"You're kidding me. This can't be happening. This is a crazy house."

[i]Carol tilted her head at him and for a moment he watched about ten different colors flash over her eyes before they went back to normal. Grace dropped down from where she was and strolled back into the kitchen.[/i]

"Now he notices."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Georgia"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="DimGray"]It was hard for me to grasp the situation. They wanted to see how I could do? That was hardly anything. I'd destroyed a supermarket for God's sake. I lit a cig and took a long drag. The burning away of my lung tissue calmed my nerves. I finished it shortly after and I put it out on my arm. My arms have all sorts of marks from all the cigs I'd put away since I had started running from the eaters.

"That can't be healthy" Grace said with a smug grin on her face.

"That's nothing. I've done worse things to these arms of mine," I quipped back matching Grace's smugness.

"I don't even want to know."

"Korey, could you help us lift the escape hatch please?" Carol said with a surpisingly optimistic attitude.

She realized we were being attacked, right? But it seemed like Carol had seen so much trauma already, no need to question her. She was gonna get us out alive. I lifted on the metal handle and it flew open after a few good tugs.

"Dare I ask why this was made?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"The best escapes are the ones that go unnoticed," Eros responded, eyes never wavering from the Eaters in the distance.

"We have 20 mins before they break through, best to say your prayers now."

As we descended into the escape hatch, I was met with the scent of damp and moldy pipelines. Even if the Eaters didn't see us escape, they would know we did. I didn't see the point in running from them, but hey. Live to fight another day.

I led the expedition through the dimly lit caverns. Following close behind me were the dogs and then Grace, Eros, Carol leading Ms. Young by the hand.

"Ok Korey, you're gonna follow this path until it branches, then you want to go to the right. It will take us to the safe house." Carol said from the rear of the pack.

I felt the ground tremble from above and dust fell from the roof of the passage. I coughed as the dust hit my lungs. I sure picked the right bad habit when I chose to smoke.

"So what are we gonna do now?" I asked with an uneasyness in my voice.

" Wait." Grace responded dryly. "It's the only thing we can do at this point. Wait and ride it out until things calm down."

"Great. I'm good at that." I said under my breath.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]The safe house was about half a mile away, and Grace estimated with a burst of speed from Jennifer's abilities, she'd make it there first. Whistling to Josie and leaving Escobar and Carlotta with the others, Grace took off at a skipping run with the greyhound pacing with her perfectly. The two pounded the packed earth floors, and on a whim she did a double handspring forward, gaining several yards on Josie, who immediately put on a burst of speed that easily outstripped her, even with the speed of two women combined and not one. Some had it tough.

Grace slowed down to an easy lope as soon as the familiar iron walls of the safe house greeted her. Nearly impenetrable, welded by Carol and Eros and assembled nearly from a kit, the gates responded to the click of Grace's key and she pulled them open just wide enough to admit those who would be following her. The second door she opened with the next key, and then the next six locks beneath it, all of them opening as if they had been greased just the other day. Once inside she lit a single candle and placed it on the simple card table they'd hauled down here. Next came the poker set and a fresh deck of cards. Dealing everyone except Mrs. Young a hand, Grace sat and waited patiently, dividing up the chips evenly while Josie lapped water from her bowl in the corner.

The others showed up in relatively good time, Carol throwing every bolt behind her, Eros finishing slopping the scent killer on their final footsteps. Korey blinked at the set.[/i]

"You play Texas Hold 'Em in the safe house?"

"Well we don't have electricity, and we have nothing better to do. Why not?"

"Besides, it's a good sharpener."

"Pain in the ass when the girls start telling me when to fold and when to bet again."

[i]Eros looked over from where he was making Mrs. Young comfortable. The dogs circled the tables, then curled up by the small portable heater Carol had brought along. Flipping the next three cards, Grace tossed in her chips and everyone began. Eros sitting to her right, Carol to her left, and Korey across, they began to play in deadly seriousness. Grace knew that part of their concentration was merely them trying to shut out the thought of what might be happening to their home.

But on the other hand, there was a game to play, and Grace was determined to somehow beat Eros's six game streak. Korey blinked and dealt as the first two rounds went to Carol and Eros respectively, wondering just how the other dozens of people in their heads made them better poker players. Josie chuffed in her sleep and Mrs. Young dozed, the sounds of her light breathing mingling with the snoring of Escobar and Carlotta. Grace looked up from a rather good hand.[/i]

"How much longer you think Carol?"

"Six hours before the Eaters get bored and decide there's nothing to eat."

"And then two more to make sure they've retreated to a good range."

"Then we send a dog back up and find out for sure."

[i]Carol counted down on her fingers and Eros nodded sagely. All business as usual, standard operating procedure.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[COLOR="Gray"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Of all the vices I had- smoking, drinking, the whole rap sheet- gambling was not high on my list. I was content on just dealing out the hands and doing my best to keep up with Carol and Eros. It was like watching two grizzled war veterans go into battle. Their faces were blank and showed no sign of emotion, not even a smile when Lady Luck tossed a hand their way. I took out a smoke and was immediately met by Carol's stern stare.

"Sweetie could you not smoke around Mrs. Young? Her old lungs can't take it."

I wasn't about to raise an argumentative tone to Carol. It would have ended badly anyways. I dealt another hand and sighed.

"What's bothering you?" Grace asked, mind full of curiosity.

"I'm tired of running to be honest. It's not like we can escape them anyways. I'd rather go down in defiance then to give those bastards the satisifaction of seeing my back."

'Hey it was your idea to run jackass...'. my brother's voice echoed in my head. I went inside myself for a second....

'Shut up. It's a reflex. You should know me by now, Jason.'

'Psh. I knew you would always get defensive, but you seem to have changed ever since she....'

' SHUT. UP. She's dead and there's nothing I can do about it. It's my fault you're gone and it's my fault she's dead too...'

'Listen to yourself, Korey. You need to stop beating yourself up for something you had no control over.'

' But if I had gotten there sooner...'

' What? Were you gonna stop the fire? What could YOU have done? I'm dead dude, who cares? You're still alive, so obviously you have something left to do.'

I snapped back into reality.

"Something left to do," I absent-mindedly muttered out.

"What?" Eros said, questioningly "What do you have left to do, besides raise or fold?"

"Oh...I fold. Excuse me..."

"Where are you going?" Carol asked, in a motherly tone that only she possessed.

"To stretch my legs." I said without looking back.

"I'm coming with you," Grace said as she left the game sitting there at the table.

"Fine. Be my guest."

Grace and I ambled along inside the safe house. For something that was built for a quick escape, it was awfully large. It didn't surprise me, given the lavish nature of the estate we were just occupying. Mrs. Young obviously had money to burn. I lit a cig and took a few drags, blowing the air absent-mindedly into the room around me. Grace followed behind me, with a child-like curiosity radiating from her.

"Don't think I don't know what happened back there. You were thinking about something huh?" Grace said, breaking the silence.

"Not really."

"Your lying is about as good as your martial arts. Tell me."

"Why should I tell you? I don't even know you."

"You know me enough to trust me."

"Circumstances caused me to put my trust in you. To keep me alive, sure I trust you, but as a person....you can shove it."

Grace stopped and looked at me. Even if she had survived countless attacks to her home and dodged being devoured, she had a soft side. A compassionate side. Grace wasn't icy like Eros or experienced like Carol. She was young, and still very impressionable. And I just crossed the line.

"Why are you such an enigmatic asshole? Why can't you just let anyone in?"

"Why do you have to be in my business? Jesus Christ, Kendra..."

"W-What did you just call me?"

I froze. This situation was all too familiar. I turned and met Grace's eyes. She stared at me with slight terror in her eyes. She didn't know what to make of my anger. She stared at me for the longest time before I managed the strength to utter...

"Look I'm..."

Grace put her hand up and placed it on my lips, quieting me. She studied my face further and it was like she wasn't looking at my body, but my soul. It's like she could see the wounded soul within me. She could see my vulnerable side. She came closer and her eyes met mine. I could feel the warm breath coming from the minute opening in her mouth. It caressed my skin and the softness of it only seemed to match the rest of Grace's personality. She lifted one hand and put it on my face and slid it down my cheekbone in a slow, almost rhythmic pattern. Then she finally broke her silence.

"You don't have to be alone anymore. We are all here for you. Most importantly, I'm here for you, Korey."

Grace thrust herself into my arms and began to sob. I instinctively put my arms around her and tried to comfort her. Her head rested on my shoulder, looking away into the distance. Her raven hair lay every which way against me. I stroked the back of her head and ran my fingers through it. For the first time in a while it felt good to comfort someone else besides myself. I had always lived with the mantra, "Live for yourself and only yourself" for the past two years. But in this moment of weakness... it wasn't about me. It was about comforting this one person.

My heart was at ease.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Standing in his arms, curling my bare toes against the back of his calve muscles, I felt like I was floating away. Korey smelled like sweet cigarettes, old aftershave, and a little blood from where he'd scraped his knuckles. I inhaled slowly, then heavily exhaled, hearing the click of Carlotta's nails on the hardwood floors Mrs. Young had had Eros and Carol installed last month. She nuzzled my hip, tall dog that she was and I looked down at her, reluctantly pulling away. She held a note in her mouth and I took it from her. Opening it, I read aloud. [/i]

"Final score: Carol, wins by 500 dollars. Eros lost mostly everything. Mrs. Young, lost by 25. Yeesh."

"Why is Mrs. Young so good at poker?"

"...her son was an inveterate gambler. In between losing really badly and making a fortune he actually learned some tricks and tips. She's possibly one of the best bluffers in the world."

"Awesome."

[i]I abruptly turned back towards the den where Mrs. Young was busily rolling herself a joint and Carol was gleefully stacking the chips. Eros was sourly pouring everyone a round of drinks and the dogs were busily crunching the food I knew he'd been obliged to shovel out for them. Carol looked up at our approach.[/i]

"Burritos will be done any second. You like tequila right?"

"I hate tequila."

[i]Korey looked at me like I'd just told him I thought puppies were evil.[/i]

"Why don't you like tequila? What's wrong with you?"

"I had a bad experience."

[i]Actually that wasn't true. What was true was the sad fact that combining my part Chinese blood with Jennifer's full Chinese blood gave me an Asian glow that turned me into a firetruck. After two shots, I wasn't exactly toasted, but I was doing my best impersonation of a lobster when my color took a nosedive from a normal creamy yellow to full on sunburn. It was humiliating. And tequila made the glow come faster than virtually every other alcoholic beverage out there except for possibly Everclear. Which we weren't drinking anyway.

Carol preferred to save the over 60 proof alcohol for Molotov cocktails. She liked cocktails. I sighed and poured myself a rather benign beer instead, liberally spritzing it with a freshly sliced lime. Eros leaned over, passing Korey a shot glass and a salt shaker.[/i]

"What Grace isn't saying is that after one of these babies, she turns into a Christmas tree."

"Screw you Eros."

"Any time babydoll. You know it'd be goodtimes for you."

"Hurk."

[i]I drank the beer instead, focusing on the bitter, not so tasty sensations washing over my tongue.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][COLOR="DimGray"]I turned down the tequila, wasn't into getting sauced right now. I needed a clear mind to deal with what was coming ahead. What were we gonna do? What's the next step? Escobar lay at my feet, asleep. It was somehow soothing to see such a pure thing. Escobar didn't have any ulterior motives, no past to lament on, no regrets. He just did what he was told and he got rewarded for it. He basically ate, slept and went to the bathroom. I had to admit, I wish I could have had that lifestyle.

"Good boy." I muttered under my breath.

I started humming to myself, just to make the moments pass by a little quicker. It was a song my mother used to sing to me when I was young. I found myself singing underneath my breath, which caught the attention of Carol.

"What song is that Korey?"

"Oh it's an old thing my mom used to sing. By the rivers of Babylon."

"Would you care to share with all of us then? It would probably put us in a better mood than what we have been in."

"Uhm...okay...sure."

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath before beginning the tune. I closed my eyes and imagined my mother singing this to me while she made supper one evening.

"By the rivers of Babylon.
Where he sat down.
And there he went.
When he remembered Zion.

For the wicked, carry us away
Captivity require from us a song
How can we sing king Alpha's song in a strange land?

So let the words of our mouth
And the meditations of our hearts
Be acceptable in thy sight
Over I

By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he went
When he remembered Zion.

For the wicked, carry us away
Captivity require from us a song
How can we sing king Alpha's song in a strange land?"

I opened my eyes and found the smiles of Carol, Grace and susprisingly Mrs. Young. I gave a half smile and kind of looked away.

"That was beautiful, Korey."

"No it was nothing really."

I took the deck of cards that had been lying on the table and put them on the ground in front of me. I then shuffled them in a cluttered mess on the ground. Grace stared at me, puzzled.

"What on Earth are you doing?"

" I can tell you exactly where every one of these cards are right now."

"Oh really? I'll bet you can't tell me where they all are. That's impossible without looking."

"Not at all. It's actually very easy."

"Ok then. Where is the two of hearts?"

"On the ground."

Grace shot me a dirty look , to which I smugly smiled. Eros chuckled slightly.

"Seriously. Can you do this or not?"

" Sure. Now watch as I tell you where all these cards are located."

I waved my hands over the cards, doing my best impersonation of a Tarot reader. I chanted underneath my breath, adding to the mystical ruse I was doing.

"OHMMMMMMMM." I chanted. "Alright, the divine powers have spoken. They tell me that all the cards are in the same location."

"What? That's not right. What kind of BS is this?"

"There is no disrespecting the divine powers, Grace. They tell me that all of these cards are......" I trailed off, closing my eyes and thrusting my arms into the air, as if to be receiving some sort of cryptic message from a higher source.

"Are what?"

"ON......THE GROUND." I said with a deep intonation as I smiled. I couldn't hold it back any longer. I broke into laughter and Grace's face became as red as a Christmas tree light, just as Eros described. It had been the most elaborate prank I had pulled in a long time.

"You're DONE!" Grace shouted, running at me.

I leapt up and ran away from Grace as fast as possible, all the while laughing.

"You asshole! Get back here!" I heard Grace yell as I ran.

There was no doubt that the mood had just lightened. You couldn't have told whether our lives were just in danger.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]I loped after him immediately, using the chair to launch myself up and forward, chasing him through the house into the back room when Escobar immediately lunged in front of Korey, tripping him just enough to make him turn around just in time to see me coming at him. Taking a quick leap upwards, I used first my right and then left foot to gain altitude as I passed through the door frame. Arms outstretched, I arched forward and caught him around the neck, rolling forward with the rest of my momentum to land on top of him with a terrific crash.

Escobar barked cheerfully, racing in circles around us while Korey groaned and gasped for breath, feeling that I'd bruised his ribs, when in reality I'd just caught myself in time to keep from slamming heavily against his torso.[/i]

"You dick."

"That's what I have, don't wear it out."

"I'll think about it."

[i]Being on top of someone was a position I had forgotten about, but for some reason my body didn't mind. I arched back a little and flicked my leg down under his while his hands rested on the small of my back, pulling me towards his hip.[/i]

"Still thinking about it?"

"Don't rush me. Rushing me leads to broken ribs."

"So I'm discovering."

"And what would the others think?"

"Carol wouldn't notice. Eros would laugh."

[i]I shrugged and dipped my head down to steal a kiss from him quickly, then pulled away. Footsteps behind us made me turn around, still covering Korey with my body. Eros was looking down at us, his expression cheerful despite his recent losses. He smelled like tequila and I wrinkled my nose at him.[/i]

"Should I leave you two alone for perhaps a bit longer?"

"If you come back in fifteen minutes it might be more interesting."

"Doubtful. Carol says the house reads all clear. We're going to go check it out as soon as we finish shutting down things here."

"Oh goodie."

[i]I stood up and let Korey fix himself without my help. Walking towards the door, I straightened my shirt and pants, checking by the cook stove for my boots.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][COLOR="SlateGray"]Pulling on my coat, I looked towards Grace and then led the party out of the safe house. Going back through the caves, I found a little comfort in myself with my recent actions. I found myself getting attached to everyone, some more than others.

I climbed up the ladder and opened the latch and peeked around the immediate surroundings. All clear. I leapt out of the hatch and found the house in no where near the condition we had left it in. The floor was littered with broken glass and pottery, presumably from the Eaters thrashing about, trying to find their already escaped prey.

I lit up a cig right as everyone came through the hatch.

"What's the deal?" Eros asked.

"Looks like your typical frat party. Broken stuff everywhere, beer cans on the floor, half naked chicks in the bedroom." I replied with a wry grin.

"Oh ok, so just as we left it then."

Surveying the outside of the house, it too fell by the wayside. Holes in the walls, broken windows. Someone had obviously known we had been by. I took a long drag and stared out into the distance, looking for some sort of sign to pop up in my head. I heard the sound of Grace's boots behind me. She took her hand and gently placed it on my shoulder.

"What do you think? Still tired of hiding?"

"Well, if I get to hide with you, that won't be so bad I guess."

"You know you'd enjoy it."

"Maybe. That all depends on what you're willing to do."

"Psh."

Grace stole the cig from my mouth and took a small drag of her own and puffed the smoke in a ring shape that floated listlessly into the air. I watched it rise and then eventually dissipate.

Eros's voice once again broke up the moment.

"So, they tore up the fridge. We're going to need supplies. Carol wants you two to go to the supermarket and try to find something edible."

"Alright, we'll see what we can find."

"Don't you kids do anyone I wouldn't."

I got my jacket from the dining room table and headed out.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]I laughed at Eros the way I was used to doing and caught the mags Carol tossed me from one of the close cabinets. Shockingly, they had done no real damage that couldn't be easily fixed. They hadn't even breached the walls properly. Just jumped instead of trampling. Not finding any warm bodies must have been frustrating for them.

I slipped the spares into the holsters on my thighs, then grabbed my own jacket and walked out the door, whistling to Carlotta as I did. She skipped through the mild debris to the sound of Carol manning a push broom. Catching the packs Eros tossed to us, I slipped on the straps and buckled it at my hips.[/i]

"So how far away is the market?"

"About three fourths of a mile? Carlotta will scout for us."

[i]I whistled to her again, inflecting the call to make the command and she lunged ahead, her strides growing long and graceful as she did, tail wagging wildly.[/i]

"Beautiful isn't she?"

"Totally."

[i]We loped along after her, she circling lightly and coming back always looking perfectly calm. Korey followed me, not quite as good at the running thing, and we crashed through the doors of the market, the generator still working for no reason I could discern. Carlotta trotted up and down the aisles, wagging her tail when she reached the pet supply section. I leaned down and unwrapped one of the rawhide bones for her and tossed it towards the far wall. She yipped at me and charged, skidding just a little on the linoleum floor. I turned to the freezer rack and picked out a bag of frozen chicken breasts, potato spears, and vegetables.

Over my shoulder I could see Korey pawing through the butter and eggs.[/i]

"You think we could figure out a way to find live animals?"

"They'd probably get eaten if we didn't keep them indoors. And so far I haven't run into anything vaguely resembling a wild animal that could be domesticated."

"Well fuck."

[i]I snatched up a bottle of Ketchup, smiling at the expiration date. Ketchup never went bad and it went with everything. Frozen soybeans and I felt almost giddy. I loved soybeans. Perhaps too much. With a little salt, they were gifts from god.

Shouldering my pack and centering the straps again I turned to Korey, who was staring at a frozen stack of hamburgers, and most likely thinking bad thoughts. I nudged him.[/i]

"Come on. Let's go."

"...yeah... I was just thinking. Remember when we were still grilling stuff?"

"I remember oysters in the shell. Clams popping open in the steam. Fresh hamburger that was never frozen."

"Oh stop it."

[i]Salivating, Korey tightened his pack and strode down the produce section. Carlotta followed us, knowing that we'd grabbed more rawhides for her and the others, then she stepped out the no longer working sliding doors. Outside the sun was barely beginning to set when her legs stiffened and she growled. Korey looked up and I drew my weapons immediately, bringing my left wrist under the right. An eater looked up at us quizzically from the carrion he was eating and I blasted through its throat. Korey turned to take in the entire view, and sighed.[/i]

"Just one. Come on."

[i]I began to run and Korey followed, Carlotta loping easily ahead of us. Making good time, Carlotta circled once, then we charged through the front door, recently repaired and reinforced with a good example of Eros's ability with a welder. I looked up and saw that he'd sealed off the windows as well. The dull hum in the background told me that Carol had fixed the generator. I walked through to the kitchen, Korey following behind me. Carol was tying up the last of the garbage bags, before setting them up to take and line around the back yard.[/i]

"Looking good Carol. The house looks fixed. How'd it go so quickly?"

"Eros and I clocked a little overtime. The upstairs is virtually untouched for one. Also, Mrs. Young knows how to use a welder too it turns out."

"Sweet."

"Well here's more for the fridge."

[i]Korey began to put the food away while I unwrapped the bag of rawhide for the dogs. Escobar looked up at me mournfully and I flicked him one, watching him jerk and stand to his feet, catching it perfectly.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]