It's the End, Or Is It? *Brian*

[Ava Taylor]

How long had she been wandering? The blond haired woman had no idea, all she knew was that it was quiet..too quiet. She looked around, gripping the shotgun at her side as her chocolate brown eyes surveyed the area. Taking a shallow breath she zeroed in on a moving object...nothing to worry about though..only a branch swaying. Taking another breath Ava Taylor tensed again, she felt it this time, the eyes watched her. Turning quickly she could see them coming..not many..well for what she had seen a long while ago. There were 10..maybe 15 tops, Ava knew she wouldn't be able to take them all on, she was running low on shots as it was. She did have two long swords..but..that was only for close rang contact. For a moment Ava seemed to have zoned out as she calculated possibilities. Never a good thing to do when there are a crowd of zombies about to attack you.

Ava blinked, they were closer. "Damn it." She cursed softly, readying her gun. "Not today." She whispered, quickly shooting at the first few as she started to run. She kept looking back, shooting blindly though. She had to have gotten at least a few down. The only thought running through her mind was live, it was the thought that had been running through her mind ever since this happened. Now..it was urging her, pushing her to obey. It seemed hours had passed by the time she had to stop running, had to catch her breath again. Ava kept her eyes alert, focused, this was bad..very bad. She dropped the gun and almost took out her swords, they had closed in though. Ava noticed they moved much quicker..when they were closer...deffinetly a bad thing too. She did her best to fight them off, but she was surrounded on all sides and they were clawing, their faces crazed. Ava shuddered, still trying..but..she knew that she couldn't last long. Even if there weren't as many now.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian sat perched on a tree. There weren't many trees lining the river but Brian had managed to find a suitable one. A tree in which the dead couldn't reach him. His legs dangled as he sat. His sniper rifle laying across his lap. Everything seemed peaceful until he heard them. A dead sound echoing through the air to show that the walking dead were near. Brian raised his rifle and peered down the scope. 10-15 were walking in a pack. "They are definately after something." Brian spoke to himself. He moved his scope to the left to spot what they were after. Brian managed to take one down and then they were on top of her. Brian retrieved his hunting knife from a safe place in his pants leg and slid from the branch.

He landed on the ground and chucked his knife where it smoothly sliced itself and found a home nestled in a zombie's skull, it fell. Brian pushed his rifle over his shoulder and jogged. As he ran past the fallen he slipped his knife out and found himself on the side of the aggressive pack. Thinking on his feet Brian unshouldered his rifle and snuck up behind the pack smacking one in the side of the head. "Uhhh." The zombie sleepily moaned as it fell over the barrier into the dark river. Two of them turned around to come at Brian. Brian rolled past them and smoothly dug his knife into the closest attacker's spine. The zombie whipped around as Brian took ahold of the girl's hand. "I need to borrow this." Brian took her shotgun and reached into his napsack. He threw a bottle of wine at the still coming dead and aimed carefully. The bullets from her shotgun made the bottle eplode raining firery piece of glass over the crowd. Brian handed the rifle back to her. "Now run."

[Ava Taylor]

At first..Ava was to stunned to react. First it was the gun shot..then the feel of their teeth trying to reach her...then..most of the seemed to fall..most of them. Ava took her shotgun back. It was..out of bullets now, she could tell..she would have to find more soon. She kicked one of the zombies that came to close and then took off, she didn't go far though, only to the trees. She wasn't very helpful without her shotgun...but she did have her swords. Ava scowled to herself.Why did I not think of that? She didn't have to run back out to the zombies though. Two of them spotted her again. Ava pulled her swords, ready, keeping alert.

Meeting the zombies halfway she cut their heads clean off..well slightly. Blood splatter was to be expected after all. In the back of her mind Ava wondered, how many of these living dead were there? Obviously this wasn't a good thing..so how did this exactly happen in the first place? No time to ponder over the answers though, more were coming, she could hear their moans and the heavy shuffles. She turned, taking two more out, then backing up..back into the clearing. "Not good." She hissed through her teeth, her hair falling into her eyes. Ava couldn't risk moving it though, so she just shook her head getting it our as best she could. Then there was a stinging pain, one of them had barely scratched her, but it felt like someone was burning her skin. She turned quickly, taking their head off too.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian gripped his rifle firmly as the horde continued its approach. He bent down to retrieve his blade twirling it in his hand. He heard the quiet swish of swords taking off heads. With his back turned toward the girl he had no idea what she was doing. Brian heard the soft death moans of the incoming dead. As they dragged their feet lazily it gave Brian time to reconcile. A zombie came so close that it dived, Brian move out of the way and stabbed the zombie in the spine as three more dived hungrily. Brian smacked one in the side of the head with his rifle. More dead had joined the group. "Dammit." Brian started to back up. His rifle raised steadily.

Brian kept backing up until he was at a safe distance with the girl. "We have to move. I have a penthouse on Park Avenue." Brian squeezed the trigger which took one zombie down with a clean headshot through the right eye. Brian took in the surrounding area as more and more zombies joined the scuffle. "We are in serious trouble." More moans joined in one chorus of a death melody as they drew near. "My penthouse is a safe place. Getting there is the problem." Brian backed up enough so that his back was just touching hers. He felt like they should be running, pronto.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava listened to him as best she could. She searched a moment,feeling Brian's back touch hers. "There." She whispered. "Do you know how to hot wire a car?" she asked, not to far away there was a beat up looking car. Most likely looking that way because of this happening. If the keys weren't in it..then the would just have to run faster. She took out a few more, but there were getting to be too many. "Come on." She grabbed his free hand and managed to barely duck out of the closing circle that had formed around him. As soon as they were out of the circle Ava let go of his hand. The zombies seemed confused for only a moment, before starting to turn to wards them."Over there." Ava pointed quickly to the car. She put both swords back and then started moving, walking quickly first, taking off her shoes, highheels..both heels broken, and then breaking into a run.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian took down another zombie with a well placed shot. "I've hot wired a couple in the past." Brian spotted the car halfway down the block. A beat up sedan, it'll have to do. "On the count of the three we run to the car. Don't look back." Brian looked around before counting. "One. Two Three." Brian took off at a run just as the crowd became thickier. He reached the car and didn't see the girl near him. In a running step up he jumped onto the hood and onto the top of the car where he turned around and peered down his scope. He covered the girl's run from a high perch. A zombie tried to grab but a bullet made ends meet. He stood standing on the top of the car waiting for the girl.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava heard him shooting at the zombies behind her. She paid no attention though, making it to the car soon after. She looked up at him and quickly opened driver side door, thankful it hadn't been locked. She slipped in, still alert though, leaving it open only so he could get in. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she started to lock the other doors. The zombies were getting closer it seemed. Now that she was able to pay a little more attention, she noticed that they really did move alot faster. At least when they spotted a target. Ava shook her head again, almost screaming when there was a tap at the door. Turning, one of them was at the passenger window. "Hurry!" Ava urged the man on the hood as the zombie kept trying to get to her.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian brought the butt of his rifle down on the zombie like a golf club. He jumped off the car's top and onto the street. Turning he threw himself into the open door and slammed it shut behind him. He didn't hesitate to lock it as well. He ducked underneath the car's wheel and pulled the wires free. He clicked a couple together and the engine purred to life. He stepped on the gas and brought the car into a speeding frenzy knocking the zombies off their feet like bowling pins. A zombie flew over the car and onto the street behind them. Brian drove in silence slowing down as he turned onto 6th Avenue. As he came onto Park he peered through the windshield at the front doors to his building. Three zombies hobbled slowly there. As Brian drove he lowered his window and stuck his rifle out of the window. "Grab the wheel." He whispered at her, still looking through the windshield. Seconds later he leaned over and looked through his scope. He had a shot on one.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava watched him a moment, her eyes taking in everything he did. Then she quickly looked back up as he floored it, and they started knocking down the zombies. When he slowed a bit she nodded at his instructions, leaning over slightly and taking the wheel. She kept a wary eye on the zombies as he trained his scope. Taking a shallow breath Ava moved her eyes, looking at the road ahead..she could tell there were more of them in the distance..but as long as they could get into his Penthouse. Ava exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair, still alittle tensed up as she let her eyes wander.

*lol..that was crappy =p. Oh well. I hate writers block.*

[This Darkened Heart]

A grim feeling came over Brian as he felt the motion of the car shift slightly as the girl grabbed hold of the wheel. He felt the wind flying through his short hair. He felt the rim of the scope against his cheek. He felt the metal of the trigger against his finger. As he peered down the scope a zombie turned around and started to shuffle towards them from a distance. Brian squeezed the trigger and it seemed the bullet didn't follow its direct path. Instead it grazed the zombie's shoulder as it kept coming. Brian quickly brought the rifle inside the car and held down the release button. The magazine slid out and Brian quickly clicked a full one in its place. He leaned the rifle back out of the window and pulled the trigger.

This time the zombie fell backward as Brian moved to aim at the second one. Brian squeezed the trigger taking that one down through the chest. The zombie squirmed on the ground trying to get back to its feet. The car they sat in zoomed past both down zombies as Brian gathered that more zombies were gathering at the door. "Shit." Brian pulled the weapon back inside and grabbed one hand on the wheel. "Hold on." Immediately Brian hit the brake which brought the car skidding to a halt and avoiding imminent death. Brian rubbed his palm intensely on the wheel as his gazed through the windshield at the zombies. "There's only one way in." Brian pointed at the door in the distance which was blocked by many zombies. "Stay here. If they come towards you circle the block. Keep circling until the way is clear." Brian grabbed his rifle and without looking at the girl he pushed the drivers door open and jogged across the street his hand gripping the rifle in the midsection as he ran.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava watched him a moment, then nodded. "Will do." She said softly, shifting into the driver seat as he hurried out. "Be careful." Though only she could hear it, he was already out of earshot. She saw more zombies coming, and tensed again, an automatic reaction. She wanted to floor it..but..she didn't want to draw too much attention now did she? Ava closed her eyes a moment as she sped up just a little bit. The near death experience had slightly shocked her..but not as much as it probably should have. She did her best to concentrate on the task at hand..and not the small throbbing pain that was starting up again on her upper arm, where the cursed zombie had scratched her.

Hissing through her teeth slightly, not realizing she had gritted them, Ava opened her eyes just in time, She swung a hard right, nearly going on to the sidewalk as she did so. Well..they were deserted anyways..so..that part didn't matter to much. "Damnit they're everywhere." How many? Ava wasn't sure. She knew there were probably more of them than there were human beings left. it didn't take her very long to circle the block the first time. She slowed though as she searched to see the guy in the midsts of the other zombies.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian dashed from empty shop doorway to doorway trying to find an alternative way to get the zombies away from the penthouse door. He saw the car that he had traveled in zoom past his hiding place which caused the zombies to move away from the door. Brian looked up at the windows around his penthouse and knew there was no way else to go about this. He took a deep intake of breath and walked out into the open. He extended his arms out to either side of him, his gun his left hand pointing up as he did so. "HEY!" The zombies turned around, all of them. Brian looked back at them, angrily. "There's a full bar.. follow me." He turned around just as the zombies slowly started to follow.

Brian started off at a run and reached the car where the girl sat. "Take these keys. They unlock the front door. Take the elevator to the 28th floor. When you get there go to the southeast window and drop the rope binding to the railing, that is vital that you do that." Without waiting for an answer Brian walked away from the car to continue leading the zombies away from the door in order for the girl to get into the building.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava nodded, waiting until the zombie's attention was on him first. She sprinted from the car to the doorway, stepping in slowly. She looked around quickly a moment, finding the elevator and then pressing the up button, going over his instructions in her head. She stepped in, pressing the 28th floor, waiting silently, the throbbing pain still there,dulling though..which was a good thing. She couldn't be distracted right now. Stepping out of the elevator into the small hallway she looked around a moment and then walked to the door, unlocking them. Stepping in, calculating briefly which way was exactly southeast. After a few moments she walked to the Southeast window and leaned over a bit, and dropped the rope binding like the man had said. She straightened and then moved to the middle of the room, sitting on the floor absently, still tensed though, she wanted to stay alert..atleast until the guy..or..whoever was going to be coming back..returned.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian made a mad dash toward the rope and grabbed it with both hands. He placed both feet on the side of the building and began to climb. Pausing once off the ground to kick a zombie in the skull. As Brian climbed higher he climbed past the 20th floor window and saw his former neighor clawing hungrily on the window from the inside. Brian kept climbing until he reached the penthouse. He hopped over the small black balcony fence and walked inside. He dropped his rifle onto the table and walked into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?" He offered the girl as he reached for the fridge.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava stood slowly when he came in. "Sure..water would be fine." She said walking over to him. "Thank you..for..helping me." She paused a moment again. "Oh..I'm Ava by the way." She said, the smile barely visible on her features. She let her eyes wander around the room a minute, she'd never set foot in a penthouse before, though she had seen them many times on TV and in magazines and such. It seemed...maybe a little smaller, than she was used to seeing, but not like she was going to picky about that. As long as there weren't any zombies ready to attack her she was fine. "Do you have any antiseptic?" she asked, motioning to wards the scratch on her arm. "I know it doesn't look like much..but it hurts like hell." She said, smiling a bit again.