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Shep’s sharp eyes sweep the farmhouse in an instant. The bloody pitchfork feels heavy and crude in his hands, but it’s kept death at bay before. Still, he searches the room for anything sturdier — a firearm, a blade, even a length of iron. His gaze lingers on the faces around him, scanning for the pallor of fever, the glisten of sweat, or the telltale mark of a bite. He sets his shoulders, voice steady and firm, the practiced calm of a man who’s seen terror before and refuses to flinch now.

OOC: Using his high intelligence to bolster his perception and analysis of the situation, what you got for my boy Shep?

seeing her stand at the sink, has a sinking feeling, as he quietly says, "Mom?"

As she turns and starts to advance, he prepares to fight with tear filled eyes.

OOC) probably won't degrade his aim much. *rolls eyes*

Jack 20 HF Failed
Al 19 HF Failed
Mel Harper 8
Shep 7
Reggie 4 HF Failed
Sheriff Harper 3/19
Mazur 3/18


Shep’s sharp eyes sweep the farmhouse in an instant. The bloody pitchfork feels heavy and crude in his hands, but it’s kept death at bay before. Still, he searches the room for anything sturdier — a firearm, a blade, even a length of iron. His gaze lingers on the faces around him, scanning for the pallor of fever, the glisten of sweat, or the telltale mark of a bite. He sets his shoulders, voice steady and firm, the practiced calm of a man who’s seen terror before and refuses to flinch now.

Jack begins crying, "This cant be real," as he glances at the expressions on Reggie's and Hank's faces.

Cowboy Al draws his revolver, takes careful aim at Mel, then hesitates.

The sheriff's wife approaches him first and blindly swings at his flinching face. She cleanly connects, sending him flailing backwards behind Al. His face is cut open badly.

Shep spots an iron fireplace poker near the fireplace, behind him, in the living room. The sheriff pulls his revolver and takes aim as Mazur also noticed the hot poker and is running for it.

Seeing her standing at the sink, Reggie has a sinking feeling, as he quietly says, "Mom?" As she turns and starts to advance, he prepares to fight with tear filled eyes.

Shep reaches the iron poker first as Mazur reaches there just a split second after. "At least give me the pitchfork," he states.

Mel turns her attention to Al with a blinding left cross, which he luckily deflects and begins hastily pacing backwards to keep distance.

Sheriff Harper finally lands on his favorite armchair. Shakes the dizziness off and tries to focus and stands back up. Mel has now turned her attention to Reggie, the next closest to her.

Shep’s sharp mind once again weighed options. Mazur’s younger, but probably in no better shape than me. Still, I’ve got the longer reach — the poker’s weight suits me better, and the pitchfork’s length will serve Mazur well enough.

Decision made, he thrust the pitchfork into Mazur’s hands. “Where’s the gun from earlier? Never mind — looked like you were having trouble with it anyhow. Take this. Keep that thing distracted and at bay while I circle around and put this through its head.”

He never once called it “she” or “Mel.” The sooner they stopped seeing it as human, the sooner they’d be able to fight it.

Drawing himself up, Shep’s voice hardened into the steady bark of command. “Reggie — circle around towards Mazur! Jack— as soon as it's clear check on the sheriff! Drag him out of the way if you have to. Al — watch where you're pointing that canon, but aim for the head.” Giving each of them a task would hopefully shake them from their paralysis, and he left no room for hesitation.

Gripping the poker part-way down the shaft, trading reach for control, Shep moved back into the fray without waiting to see if Mazur listened. He may be cocky, but hopefully he’ll defer to my command in the heat of it. If we don’t get organized quick, more of us will be dead.

OOC: I've had more RL 'sidequests' happening the last 2 weeks than I did in the previous 3 months. Yeesh.

Reggie backs away from his mother, the sword held out in front of him in a vaguely threatening manner but he's unable to bring himself to swing at her yet, though he'll try to block/parry/dodge any attack she makes at him.

Reggie 19
Shep 17
Sheriff Harper 13
Al 12
Mazur 9
Jack 8
Mel Harper Last

Shep’s sharp mind weighs his options. oO(Mazur’s younger, but probably in no better shape than me. Still, I’ve got the longer reach — the poker’s weight suits me better, and the pitchfork’s length will serve Mazur well enough)Oo Decision made, “Where’s the gun from earlier? Never mind. Looked like you were having trouble with it anyhow. Take this," he thrusts the pitchfork into Mazur’s hands. "Keep that thing distracted and at bay while I circle around and put this through its head.” He never once called it “she” or “Mel.” The sooner they stopped seeing it as human, the sooner they’d be able to fight it.

Drawing himself up, Shep’s voice hardens into the steady bark of command. “Reggie, circle around towards Mazur! Jack, as soon as it's clear check on the sheriff! Drag him out of the way if you have to. Al, watch where you're pointing that canon, but aim for the head.” Giving each of them a task would hopefully shake them from their paralysis, and he leaves no room for hesitation.

Gripping the poker partway down the shaft, trading reach for control, Shep moves back into the fray without waiting to see if Mazur listened. oO(He may be cocky, but hopefully he’ll defer to my command in the heat of it. If we don’t get organized quick, more of us will be dead)Oo

Reggie backs away from his mother, he points his sword in front of him in a vaguely threatening manner but he's unable to bring himself to swing at her as he prepares to block or evade. Mel continues to advance at roughly the same pace. Reggie manages to keep out of her reach.

Shep begins to circle widely around and positioning himself behind Reg's mother. Sheriff Harper stands back up, shaking his head, he cries, "No! That's my wife!" as Al fires off a shot into her face. Shep sees the exit would explode in front of her ear, tearing part of her jaw loose. She keeps advancing on Reggie, arms outstretched as though she wants a hug.

Mazur listened! He steps in front of Reggie and spears Mrs. Harper under her chin, where his pitchfork lodges. She pushes against Mazur, now focused on him. Jack looks confused as he shouts to the sheriff, "Mr. Harper, come on! You can't be here!"

She swings at Mazur, but the pitchfork keeps her from being able to reach him. Reggie is the unfortunate witness to his best friends maiming his mother. Shep attempts to skewer her through the head, only to have the poker scrape over her scalp. Jack pushes the distraught sheriff out of the kitchen, into the back entryway. Al's next shot, deafening everyone again, seems to bounce off of the side of her head as she misses Mazur again.

OOC: Keep in mind that Reggie has a messed up nose from Z-Donnie and Shep's already taken a whopper of a hit.

"Great hit, Mazur. Keep it at bay. Don't let it get close enough to hit you." Shep barks above the noise.

He wonders briefly how in the world the creature could take a shot to the head without going down. As he reaches back to take a full swing this time, instead of just a poke, he looks for any sign of damage from the bullet — exit holes, singed hair, anything to tell him whether the shot actually hit or simply glanced.

“Reggie, snap out of it. Your mother is no longer with us. This may look like your mother, but she’s already dead — we’re going to need that sword.” He hates himself as the words come out, but if they’re going to survive this day and the ones after, he has to remain hard. [OOC: Using the full force of his MA influence to try to help Reggie to overcome his HF.]

OOC: In game terms, the HF expired before last post, however, this is the corpse of a woman who raised and nurtured him.

OOC2: Trust roll = 16% = even a person with 7 MA would have made this roll. Up to Tim how to play it out (His love for his mother vs his trust for Shep) with the current situation. I'm interested to see how this plays out. An unbelievable situation is hard to grasp in the face of a life and death battle with what appears to be a loved one. It may force a save vs insanity regardless of his choice. Same for the sheriff.

between the gunshots and the pitchfork, it's clear that this monstrosity is not his mother, Reggie winds up and takes an overhand swing at the thing, pouring his grief and rage at the loss of his mom into the blow.

Sheriff Harper 22
Jack 16
Reggie 15/9
Mel Harper 15/6
Shep 10
Al 4
Mazur 2

Jack manages to get the sheriff outside.

"Great hit, Mazur. Keep it at bay. Don't let it get close enough to hit you." Shep barks above the noise. He briefly wonders how in the world the creature could take a shot to the head without going down. As he reaches back to take a full swing this time, instead of just a poke, he looks for any sign of damage from the bullet — exit holes, singed hair, anything to tell him whether the shot actually hit or simply glanced. He notices that the bullet glanced off of her skull, but her scalp is ripped open where it hit. She continues whiffing swings at Mazur.

Al moves around to avoid hitting anyone if he shoots again. Mazur strains with all of his strength to brace the now sliding pitchfork against the wooden floor.

“Reggie, snap out of it. Your mother is no longer with us. This may look like your mother, but she’s already dead — we’re going to need that sword.” Shep hates himself as the words come out, but if they’re going to survive this day and the ones after, he has to remain hard.

Between the gunshots and the pitchfork, it's clear that this monstrosity is not his mother. Reggie winds up and takes an overhand swing at the thing, pouring his grief and rage at the loss of his mom into the blow. He roars his best warcry as he sinks the sword into the muscles of her shoulder.

Al is in position and begins to take aim, trying to not miss, but doesn't find an opportunity to shoot. Mel swings at Mazur, narrowly missing him as he realizes that the sliding pitchfork is prying her jaw from her face, allowing her to move again. Mazur braces the end of the handle against the sheriff's favorite loveseat. Mel's forward advance just slides that forward as well. Shep violently crashes the iron poker on top of Mel's head, caving the top of her skull. She collapses to the floor and becomes still.

Al puts his pistol away as everyone's' full hearing begins to return. Reggie frees his sword from his mother's shoulder. They can all hear the racking sobs of the sheriff outside.