Post by Keira O'Donoghue on Jan 28, 2017 23:53:56 GMT -5
Keira trudged through the snow, her boots crunching the icy grass beneath her feet. Her sharp eyes were on the lookout as she moved through the field, unable to put her hood up. Her ears were freezing, and the pale skin had turned an angry pink from the cold, but she preferred to have a full line of sight. Roland was bundled up in as much clothes as they could muster, and he clung to her torso from inside of her zipped jacket. His hood was up, and his little face was hidden in her chest. Keira held him against her with one hand, the other hand brandishing a machete. Her bow and quiver of arrows were strapped to her back, but she needed to hold Roland despite her prowess with the weapon. Her arm was burning as she walked, and she switched the machete into her hand carefully as she opted to shift arms.
"We need to get inside." It was an obvious statement, one that she was sure all of her companions could agree with. Omar and Thomas had escaped the Hive with her, and she knew that both Omar's sister and her own brother were suffering. They all were. "Even if it's just a shed or something. Four walls and a roof. It's too cold to be exposed."
She led her companions to the end of the field, and down the hill, she saw a tall fence. It was chain-link and rusted, with snow powdering the metal. It separated the ditch below from a quiet suburb, one that didn't have much life left to it. But there were houses, and Keira felt as if she had hit the jackpot. Carefully, she walked down the incline, watching to not trip. The last thing that she needed was to crush her brother. When she finally got to the bottom of the hill, she approached the fence and wrapped her hand around the metal. Her fingers, barely protected by thin gloves, gripped the links as she shook it. The sound echoed in the sleepy suburb, and when nothing approached, she smiled and looked over her shoulder at her companions.
"I think we can scavenge here. Maybe find some food. We should definitely set up shop for the night." Keira sheathed her machete and unzipped her jacket to release Roland. The little boy cried out and clung to her, and Keira winced at the way that the cold air attacked her exposed front. "Roland, I need you to stay with Thomas for a second so I can climb over, okay?"
"No," he cried. Keira frowned, and the look stayed plastered on her face for a long moment. Roland had been frightened by the fall of the Hive, and travelling all winter had been hard on the young boy. He was only five years old, and the terror of the new world often brought him to tears. They streamed down his cheeks as he clung to his sister, his nose and ears bright red. "No, I wanna stay with you!"
"You will. But I have to get over the fence first." She squatted down and peeled him off of her, gently guiding him in Thomas's direction. "Once I'm over, you can come and stay with me, okay? But I have to make sure it's safe first."
"No!" He whined and reached out for Keira, but she stood and moved to the fence. It pained her heart to her him upset, but business needed to be handled. She scaled the fence, the toes of her boots kicking the snow out of the links as she moved, and she climbed down the other side. Had it been summer, she'd have jumped, but slipping on the ice and busting her ass was a death sentence in this world. She landed with a soft plop on her feet, and she smiled and tried to catch Roland's eyes.
"See? It's okay." Keira kept her smile reassuring, but her face dropped when Roland's face became frozen in terror. He covered his eyes and yelled, rushing to hide behind Thomas's form. Keira turned quickly as she caught the walker approaching, its jaw hanging off of its face. It was barely hanging on by a chunk of frozen skin, but Keira's ears honed in on Roland's terrified wails as she unsheathed her machete. She brought the blade down atop the dead man's head, and although it immobilized him, her blade stuck in the skull. She made an annoyed sound with her mouth and moved to try to yank it out of his head.
"It's okay, Roland. I'm okay." She tugged and pulled, and finally, she ripped the blade from his bone. She almost slipped and fell on the icy grass, but she reached out and caught a hold of the fence. She looked to her companions on the other side and smirked. "All right now, boys, time to follow the leader."
"We need to get inside." It was an obvious statement, one that she was sure all of her companions could agree with. Omar and Thomas had escaped the Hive with her, and she knew that both Omar's sister and her own brother were suffering. They all were. "Even if it's just a shed or something. Four walls and a roof. It's too cold to be exposed."
She led her companions to the end of the field, and down the hill, she saw a tall fence. It was chain-link and rusted, with snow powdering the metal. It separated the ditch below from a quiet suburb, one that didn't have much life left to it. But there were houses, and Keira felt as if she had hit the jackpot. Carefully, she walked down the incline, watching to not trip. The last thing that she needed was to crush her brother. When she finally got to the bottom of the hill, she approached the fence and wrapped her hand around the metal. Her fingers, barely protected by thin gloves, gripped the links as she shook it. The sound echoed in the sleepy suburb, and when nothing approached, she smiled and looked over her shoulder at her companions.
"I think we can scavenge here. Maybe find some food. We should definitely set up shop for the night." Keira sheathed her machete and unzipped her jacket to release Roland. The little boy cried out and clung to her, and Keira winced at the way that the cold air attacked her exposed front. "Roland, I need you to stay with Thomas for a second so I can climb over, okay?"
"No," he cried. Keira frowned, and the look stayed plastered on her face for a long moment. Roland had been frightened by the fall of the Hive, and travelling all winter had been hard on the young boy. He was only five years old, and the terror of the new world often brought him to tears. They streamed down his cheeks as he clung to his sister, his nose and ears bright red. "No, I wanna stay with you!"
"You will. But I have to get over the fence first." She squatted down and peeled him off of her, gently guiding him in Thomas's direction. "Once I'm over, you can come and stay with me, okay? But I have to make sure it's safe first."
"No!" He whined and reached out for Keira, but she stood and moved to the fence. It pained her heart to her him upset, but business needed to be handled. She scaled the fence, the toes of her boots kicking the snow out of the links as she moved, and she climbed down the other side. Had it been summer, she'd have jumped, but slipping on the ice and busting her ass was a death sentence in this world. She landed with a soft plop on her feet, and she smiled and tried to catch Roland's eyes.
"See? It's okay." Keira kept her smile reassuring, but her face dropped when Roland's face became frozen in terror. He covered his eyes and yelled, rushing to hide behind Thomas's form. Keira turned quickly as she caught the walker approaching, its jaw hanging off of its face. It was barely hanging on by a chunk of frozen skin, but Keira's ears honed in on Roland's terrified wails as she unsheathed her machete. She brought the blade down atop the dead man's head, and although it immobilized him, her blade stuck in the skull. She made an annoyed sound with her mouth and moved to try to yank it out of his head.
"It's okay, Roland. I'm okay." She tugged and pulled, and finally, she ripped the blade from his bone. She almost slipped and fell on the icy grass, but she reached out and caught a hold of the fence. She looked to her companions on the other side and smirked. "All right now, boys, time to follow the leader."