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Reggie replies, "I'm not sure that's a good idea. They are freakishly strong and they don't seem to feel pain." However, before he can finish his sentence, the policeman takes a running dive, only to stumble over a rock, landing face first behind Donnie's heels. Simultaneously, Reggie swipes, slightly gashing the back of Donnie's hand. The brief glimpse of the wound justifies Reggie's worst fears. Donnie is tough.

Suddenly, Reggie sees a bright flash mixed with sharp, sudden pain as Reggie's vision goes starrily dark. He didn't even see the punch coming. His nose doesn't feel right as his hands feel sticky wetness stream across them. His ringing ears drown everything but a high pitched whine. His vision slowly returns to blood-drenched hands as a facial cascade contributes to the crimson flow. The cold facial numbness disguises the seriousness of the sustained damage. Why hasn't Donnie finished him off?

Reggie glances up, the daylight hurts his eyes. The world is spinning and shifting. It's painfully impossible to breathe through his nose, as though it's horribly broken. He realizes his nasal sinuses have ruptured as he tries to breath through his mouth. It's easier to cough, producing a weird, red eruption from his mouth. The cop is wrestling with Donnie on the ground; he grasps Donnie's hair, slamming his head repeatedly against gravelly road. Mrs. Wilson is getting close now. Everything seems to blur and darken. The last thing Reggie remembers hearing are more approaching, revving engines mixed a gravel-filled, dull, wet, smacking sound.

OOC: Reggie is unconscious. Ill award extra experience for a well written dream, nightmare, desire etc. I'll add to it, it could produce some very interesting backstory. Stay tuned to see how these events unfold.

Shep and Jack approach the scene just as Reggie loses consciousness and see the bloody mess that his broken nose is making.

Shep stares dumbfounded as the scene unfolds in front of him. He has trouble coming to grips with what he's seeing. He sits on the ATV and stares at Gail as he tries to get his brain to start functioning again. She continues to approach in her zombie-like.... Something clicks inside Shep's muddled mind. He quickly thinks back to his time in the library over the years and realizes that Gail walks, acts and looks like the zombies described in the old fiction books. An extremely old tome called "Night of the Living Dead" comes to mind as Shep rapidly comes to grips with what he's seeing.

"Shit... I think the towns turned to zombies." He yells to no one in particular, his voice raising a pitch as he fights back the blackness threatening his old mind. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the gun hidden within; the cold steel feeling repulsive in his hand as he realizes what he must do. Lifting the gun level with his shoulders, he works hard to control the shaking in his hands and aims at Gail's head. He gently squeezes the trigger and prays that his aim is true.

Shep stares dumbfounded as the scene unfolds. He has trouble coming to grips with it. He sits on the ATV and observes Gail, trying to get his brain to start functioning again. She continues her advance in a zombie-like... Something clicks inside his muddled mind. He quickly remembers his time in the library over the years and realizes that Gail walks, acts and looks like the zombies described in the old, fiction books. An extremely old tome called "Night of the Living Dead" comes to mind as Shep rapidly comes to grips with what he's seeing.

"Shit! I think the town's turned to zombies!" He yells to no one in particular, his voice raising a pitch, as he struggles against the blackness threatening his old mind. He pulls the revolver from his pocket; the cold steel feels repulsive as he realizes what he must do. Leveling it with his shoulders, struggling with the shaking in his hands and aims at Gail's head.

"What's a zomb..."

He gently squeezes the trigger, praying that his aim is true. The grocery shop window shatters, way behind Mrs Wilson, as he begins to uncontrollably tremble.

The cop jumps up, surprised, "Where'd you get that?" he shouts, pulling his own service weapon, which looks fancier and newer. In a single fluid motion, he points and shoots three times. The bullet impacts Mrs. Wilson's shoulder. She doesn't seem to notice as a red circle grows on her white blouse, then begins elongating down her side. The second bullet sprays wood from the frame of the same window that Shep hit. The third bullet snaps Mrs. Wilson's head backward, spraying red and maroon behind her. Her body crumples to the ground, becoming motionless and nearly headless.

Shep now struggles with his gag reflex as Jack steps forward, "Are you crazy? Why would you kill Mrs. Wilson!" glancing between Shep and the cop.

Donnie, even with a caved in skull, begins to stand back up. The cop seems unaware and Reggie still lies unconscious on the floor.
*********************************
OOC: The following is story and not what's really happening. Tim, you may post here or in private posts. Whichever you prefer to RP out the dream.
Meanwhile:

Reggie's eyes flutter open. The crushed gravel, beneath his arms, harshly digs into his skin. As his vision clears, the gravel appears ill maintained, resembling crushed cobblestone as part of a large foyer. There seems to be a constant droning rumble in the background. He slightly raises his head, instigating an intense, throbbing headache. His eyes squint, trying to ease the pain.

"What's a zomb..." faintly echoes from a large, stone hallway to his right. Reggie manages to roll sideways as small, jagged stones randomly tick against the stone floor, unsticking from his skin. He sits upright, trying to maintain his wavering balance. A wave of nausea briefly passes.

A loud, single clap erupts from a throne in front of him, "Welcome! Young hero!" booms a man's deep voice from the empty throne.

"Where'd you get that?" a faint yell echoes from the left antechamber.

Three more claps erupt from the throne, "Today, you'll be tested!" Reggie's vision seems to darken, speckled with vision loss, as though going blind, but not completely. The booming voice continues, "Well then, hero. Gaze into the abyss of despair and glean from the screaming void a measure of agony to offset our minute pleasures and passing fancies," Reggie feels sadness as hopelessness threatens to overtake him. The silhouette of a cloaked shadow glides along the wall near the throne. "and know that your victories and glories melt in wake of the rank harbinger of misfortune and chaos!"

For an instant, Reggie swears he envisions Ryan's mangled body sprawled in the wastelands, beyond the lines. Even worse, Ryan is struggling to stay alive as he desperately tries reinserting his intestines back into his vivisected abdomen. The cloaked darkness moves, "You will kneel before the screaming certitude of mortality! You will immolate your loved ones in sacrifice before the altar of ephemeral existence!"

"Are you crazy?" a voice echoes from the right stone hallway. "Why would you kill Mrs. Wilson?"

"Hero, I will guide you into the slobbering maw of destiny and let the inevitable breath of extinction harvest their souls from the bloody teat of life." The pebbles seem to dance across the vibrating floor, "Decide, hero. What is your destiny?"

OOC: Welcome to my ****ed up world of dreams.

"Snap out of it Jack." Shep says to him in a less than understanding tone. The words coming out of his mouth have a slightly muffled sound to them, he realizes that his ears are ringing a bit from the proximity of the gunfire.

"I don't think they're human anymore." he continues in a less crazed tone of voice. "There's old tales about people turned into mindless walkers that eat the flesh of living humans. According to the tales, anyone they bite gets infected with it and turns as well. Some sort of virus or alien possession or something. In the tales, it usually takes a shot to the head to put them down."

Shep ignores the question from the cop about where he got the revolver and pretends he didn't hear him. "Hey, nice shoot...." his words stopp coming out when he notices Donnie's body moving again. "Behind you!" he yells at the cop before training his gun on Donnie's head and waiting for a clear shot that doesn't endanger the cop if he's too close to the line of fire. He'll take the shot anyway if it looks like the cop is in immediate danger.

"Snap out of it, Jack." Shep says in a less than understanding tone. It sounds slightly muffled as he realizes that his ears are ringing close, proximate gunfire. "I don't think they're human anymore," he continues in a less crazed tone of voice, "There's old tales about people turned into mindless walkers that eat the flesh of living humans. According to the tales, anyone they bite gets infected with it and turns as well. Some sort of virus or alien possession or something. In the tales, it usually takes a shot to the head to put them down."

Shep isn't sure Jack is listening as he lunges forward, booting Donnie backwards. Shep ignores the cop and pretends he didn't hear him. "Hey, nice shoot..." ceasing dialogue upon noticing Donnie move again. "Behind you!" he yells. The cop ducks under Shep's aim as Jack hops back while Shep's revolver pops a slug into Donnie's chest. He misses Donnie's head thanks Jack's thrust kick. The cop spins, taking little time to aim. Donnie's body jerks with his three rapid shots. No bullets hit the head or neck.

"He doesn't go down!" Jack exclaims. "and Shep, stories don't make it real!" It's difficult to hear Jack through the overpowering, high pitch tone ringing he's hearing.

The policeman desperately tries to deflect Donnie's hammering haymaker. The punch plows through his fancy block. The swift, wet smack of fist to cheek spins him backwards, facing Shep. Shep notices the loss visual focus and wavering chin as the cop thumps against the gravel. Zombie Don advances after the cop.

Jack's second thrust kick results in slipping on loose gravel, landing squarely on his back, feet in the air. Normally, this comical scene would place Jack as the butt of every joke for weeks. Not this time. Unfortunate, because Zombie Don dives forward, stretching his reach for the cops neck!

OOC: Dice are not in your favor at the moment.

Chaser1 wrote: OOC: The following is story and not what's really happening. Tim, you may post here or in private posts. Whichever you prefer to RP out the dream.
Meanwhile:

Reggie's eyes flutter open. The crushed gravel, beneath his arms, harshly digs into his skin. As his vision clears, the gravel appears ill maintained, resembling crushed cobblestone as part of a large foyer. There seems to be a constant droning rumble in the background. He slightly raises his head, instigating an intense, throbbing headache. His eyes squint, trying to ease the pain.

"What's a zomb..." faintly echoes from a large, stone hallway to his right. Reggie manages to roll sideways as small, jagged stones randomly tick against the stone floor, unsticking from his skin. He sits upright, trying to maintain his wavering balance. A wave of nausea briefly passes.

A loud, single clap erupts from a throne in front of him, "Welcome! Young hero!" booms a man's deep voice from the empty throne.

"Where'd you get that?" a faint yell echoes from the left antechamber.

Three more claps erupt from the throne, "Today, you'll be tested!" Reggie's vision seems to darken, speckled with vision loss, as though going blind, but not completely. The booming voice continues, "Well then, hero. Gaze into the abyss of despair and glean from the screaming void a measure of agony to offset our minute pleasures and passing fancies," Reggie feels sadness as hopelessness threatens to overtake him. The silhouette of a cloaked shadow glides along the wall near the throne. "and know that your victories and glories melt in wake of the rank harbinger of misfortune and chaos!"

For an instant, Reggie swears he envisions Ryan's mangled body sprawled in the wastelands, beyond the lines. Even worse, Ryan is struggling to stay alive as he desperately tries reinserting his intestines back into his vivisected abdomen. The cloaked darkness moves, "You will kneel before the screaming certitude of mortality! You will immolate your loved ones in sacrifice before the altar of ephemeral existence!"

"Are you crazy?" a voice echoes from the right stone hallway. "Why would you kill Mrs. Wilson?"

"Hero, I will guide you into the slobbering maw of destiny and let the inevitable breath of extinction harvest their souls from the bloody teat of life." The pebbles seem to dance across the vibrating floor, "Decide, hero. What is your destiny?"

OOC: Welcome to my ****ed up world of dreams.

"... how hard did Donnie hit me?" mutters Reggie as he climbs unsteadily to his feet. So many questions running through his head, 'Where am I? Am I hallucinating? Who's talking?'

Speaking up he says, "Sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you say it in simple American?" He starts moving towards the throne on wobbly legs, trying to spot the speaker. "Like, what the heck does 'Ef-emmer-el mean? I've got to warn you, I'm a good christian boy and I ain't about to go worshiping at some strange church. And what kind of critter is a Screamin Sert-e-tuud? Anything like a Screech Owl?"

"He doesn't go down!" Jack exclaims. "and Shep, stories don't make it real!" It's difficult to hear Jack through the overpowering, high pitch tone ringing he's hearing.

The policeman desperately tries to deflect Donnie's hammering haymaker. The punch plows through his fancy block. The swift, wet smack of fist to cheek spins him backwards, facing Shep. Shep notices the loss visual focus and wavering chin as the cop thumps against the gravel. Zombie Don advances after the cop.

Jack's second thrust kick results in slipping on loose gravel, landing squarely on his back, feet in the air. Normally, this comical scene would place Jack as the butt of every joke for weeks. Not this time. Unfortunate, because Zombie Don dives forward, stretching his reach for the cops neck!

Shep groans inwardly at their run of bad luck and then takes aim and pops off three shots at the zombie's head. (He finds that it makes it easier to not think of it as a once acquaintance or friend, but a mindless zombie instead.)

"it doesn't matter whether you think it's real or not if it kills you while you're deciding." Shep retorts to Jacks earlier statement.

Shep glances around quickly to see if there's anything he and Jack can use as a hand-to-hand weapon once the bullets run out. Something he could use as a club would probably work best.

"How hard did Donnie hit me?" mutters Reggie; unsteadily climbing to his feet. oO(Where am I? Am I hallucinating? Who's talking?)Oo Finally, he says, "Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you say it in simple American?" He moves towards the throne on wobbly legs, trying to locate the voice. "Like, what the heck does 'Ef-emmer-el mean? I've got to warn you, I'm a good christian boy and I ain't about to go worshiping at some strange church. And what kind of critter is a Screamin Sert-e-tuud? Anything like a Screech Owl?"

"Simple-minded!" The voice booms, "Most convenient!" A hooded shadow dances across the corner of Reggie's vision, but remains at the edge of his eyesight upon trying to look. The voice continues, "Hero, simply said, do you want to save your friends from certain eternal doom? Would you do anything to stop that from happening?"

Two more claps echo throughout, ringing in Reggie's ears. "Choose quickly, hero. You're time is expiring."

********************

Shep inwardly groans at their run of bad luck. "It doesn't matter whether you think it's real or not if it kills you while you're deciding." Shep retorts to Jack.

Zombie Don squeezes its hands around the cops neck, resulting in a horrible crunch. Shep aims and pops off two shots at the zombie's head. The first shot strikes the dirt, barely grazing Don's scalp. The second shot splatters the remainder of his head across the gravel. Don's hands go limp as he falls prone, next to the policeman, who's struggling to breath. He becomes conscious again, desperately clutching at his throat.

OOC: Damn thing got initiative on you two.

Shep looks over at Jack to see if he's alright. After seeing that the only thing harmed is his pride Shep says "Jack, go check on Reggie and make sure he's still alive. Be careful, if he's dead he could wake up one as one of these creatures." Shep carefully approaches the cop...gun trained on his head. Shep is prepared to shoot the man in the head if he shows any signs of having turned into a zombie. "You alright?" The question coming out as not much more than a whisper; just loud enough for the cop to hear him.

Shep glances to see if Jack's alright. After seeing that the only thing harmed is his pride, Shep says "Jack, go check on Reggie and make sure he's still alive. Be careful, if he's dead he could wake up one as one of these creatures." Shep carefully approaches the cop; gun trained on his head. Shep is prepared to shoot the man if he shows any signs of turning. "You alright?" he whispers just loud enough for the cop to hear.

The cop, staring at the gun, frantically nods while pointing at his throat with one hand, clutching it with the opposite. He tries to say, "yes," only to make a choking croak sound.

Meanwhile, Jack replies, "Reggie's breathing. But he's got a broken nose. I think the bleeding stopped." Shep notices Reggie move slightly.

All around town, there are sounds of occasional gunfire, screaming and panic. Shep recognizes Ret's voice above the chaotic roar, "HELP ME! WHOEVER YOU ARE!" It sounds like it could be coming from a street to the south.