The Living Flesh. (Not Started/ Closed)

You are a survivor of a zombie invasion. Your task is extremely simple. Survive. You live with a band of four other survivors. Through good and bad relationships with each other you have held your own, but tensions are running high as the food supply is running low.

Setting

Spoiler

Modern times, set in the country side, you currently are talking refuge in an old, underground cave. It is spacious, but only has one room, in which everyone sleeps, eats etc. The bathroom is above the hole, and can be reached by a step-ladder.

The hole is on the almost immediate edge of a forest. Near a river, and with plenty of game and natural berries and fruit. Unfortunately it's the beginning of a harsh winter, and food is becoming scarce.

The zombies!

Spoiler

These 'Zombies' are far from the norm! Created by a brain-parasite that forces them to seek living creatures and devour them. They are still alive! The parts of the brain that processes pain, fear, emotion, memories and sexual instincts are dead in a zombie! They can still bleed to death, die of infection etc. They are slightly abnormal in the sense that the parasite can stimulate the part of the brain that controls the body's adrenaline supply, which can lead them to run for hours on end, or any physical activity, because of controlled adrenaline bursts. The zombies are attracted by noise, and cannot simply smell close by humans. The parasite cannot be hosted in any animal, only humans.

The Group and characters!

Spoiler

Is this a rag-tag group of survivors? Absolutely not! Seemingly by destiny, everyone in the group has an talent/service that keeps them valuable.

Character A- Skilled hunter. Knows the tricks of the trade! Versed in guns and crossbows, also knows basic first aid.

Character B- Cook. Knowledge on gutting and cooking game, and how to make a delicious meal. (@CowLogic)

Character C- Gatherer. Goes with the hunter to gather fruit and berries. Occasionally goes to a nearby town to gather supplies. Also gathers firewood.(Taken by myself)

Character D- Medical student. Nearly finished his/her degree before the outbreak. Still has all textbooks for reference. (@thelostone)

Character E- Weapon expert. A collector of axes, swords, knives and bows before the outbreak, knows proper maintenance and handling. ( @Dakushou )

Pick whoever you like!

Note: I've been planning this for a while, and really want this to go as long as possible. Please don't join if you're not committed!

Weapons, supplies etc.

Spoiler

Each member of the group is armed. In the hopes of fair distribution, after your character is made, leave three numbers between 1 and 30 and you will be given your weapons! Also, since this is aimed at fair play, feel free to assign me numbers, so you know I didn't just pick the good ones. Also, keep track of your weapons in a little note before your post, once the SB has started!

Current supplies include the weapons, 2 first aid boxes, 3 bottles of painkillers (strong), water (provided by the river, food (provided by the hunter and gatherer), a small fire pit, a frying pan, 5 plastic containers (for eating), cutlery and 5 sleeping bags.

The guidelines for submitting a character are:

CodeSelect all

 Name-
Gender-
Age-
Appearance-
Personality-
Character choice-
History-
Weapons- (to be filled in after they're given to you)
Skills- (add skills, but nothing that conflicts your character. E.x- don't make the doctor a skilled hunter)
Relationship status with other members if the group-
 

Regular YWS storybook rules apply. Have fun!!

Can I have character D? Please and thank you

Character C please! I am putting my profile up now

@PandaBear7 I'm afraid that Character C is taken. Only character A is available at the moment.

fine... I will take character A

@PandaBear7 we could switch if you really want Character C. Personally I don't see much difference between the tasks and type of story produced from the characters, but if You really want to switch, I'm up for it!

Its fine

Manny
Day 1 (Four months after the start of the Infection)
Crossbow, Spear, and Machete

It’s not easy to understand how we’ve managed to last this long.

We could just say that it was luck, that things in the entropy of life aligned themselves so that our little bag of humanity was able to last four months of horror. There isn’t evidence for luck, though. We’ve all made hard choices, compromised ourselves in more ways than one to get us this far. We’ve all persevered more than anyone else could. No. This isn’t about luck.

There would be a little truth in the inference that we were able to survive because of location. This is a first world country any way you look at it, and is still somewhat so. Stockpiles of food, supplies, medical centers, morally inclined public services. Things we wouldn’t have had the advantage of in the Congo, or Sudan. Although, I guess they’re already so used to destitution and struggle that is outbreak is nothing new.

Still, I don’t think we can owe our ability to endure entirely to location, either. The dense populations of the country yield extreme amounts of dead-heads to deal with. Not only is this a huge threat to our lives, it is to our hearts as well. While some of my companions don’t hesitate to split open the head of a zombie, I still get a shot in the nerves every time I do it.

Personally, I think we’ve survived this long because of our pathos. To be frank, that’s it.

You don’t have to see much besides our eyes to agree. We all have the eyes of a prey turned predator. We have all witnessed some of the worst to the point where the Infection was almost just another part of life. Doesn’t everyone have an Infection in their life spans, we innocently ask ourselves.

Zeil’s pupils dilate into memories of war. The outbreak served as little more than a return to what he once called his occupation. Discipline from military training and monotonous hours of operating lumberjack machinery got him this far.

Alec has learned to suppress himself behind congeniality and humor. He’s self-actualized though, and he is mentally equipped for just about anything, even putting a bullet into his own sister after she turned. Mentality got him this far.

Ollie was the daughter of a doctor. She had seen his line of work, and some of it must have been almost as bad as the decomposition you see in an average human today. Then, long before the outbreak even happened, she watched the parasite take her mother, and watched as her father became more and more obsessed with finding the cure until he abandoned her. Watching the worst got her this far.

Alexa experienced death inside her, and didn’t have the numbing mercy of death herself. The loss of her child at such a young age gave her a big-picture outlook that transcended age. She knows what’s important, because she knows the importance of life, and the importance of death, as they both connect to things her body went through. Reparations to psyche got her this far.

The outbreak showed me much of the same as well. See, I had witnessed my father transform into a monster. And it had nothing to do with any parasite, unless you consider alcohol a parasite. I watched from the beginning of his addiction. I saw him start to sadden, to lose faith. I saw him embrace rage. I saw him spend the entirety of the family’s paycheck on booze until I had to start breaking the law to feed us. I saw as he finally started to realize the therapeutic benefits of beating wives and I saw how I had enough and kicked him out into the dust. Then I stopped seeing him. The man could be dead right now, and he could be alive. I wouldn’t know.

I saw myself turn too. After my rite of manhood, I was tougher, and had one more tattoo than previously. A tattoo caused by branding. Me and my partners rode the dirt roads of the American side of the Citadel and we rode the businesses there in a perverse feudalism. We did drugs and sold drugs, and hurt people badly to get our drugs back when payments stopped. I thank the Lord every day, every minute that he delivered me from that before I became an eternal servant of Lucifer.

My salvation wasn’t a happy one either. It was symbolized by the death of my mother. At the hands of people who I thought were my friends. The revenge I wrought changed me. After it was done and I realized what I did, I broke down. I walked on my knees more than a mile and lost all the skin on them till I got to the church. I waited hours for a confession, getting blood on the church floors.

And then I became a chef. Simple as that. After everything that happened, I became a chef. I realized my religion had disappeared, so I got it back. I flew to Ireland and joined in efforts there to spread the messages we shared. I started mission work in the worst parts of London, and I knew how to reach the people, since it was so similar to where I came from.

Experience got me this far. Experience got us all this far.

Now, inside a cave, four months into the worst tragedy to ever befall mankind, five experienced sons of bitches huddle together in a cave in Northern England and think blank thoughts, and wait for day to come. Wait for a good time to leave the cave.

Wait for the zombies to move from the entrance.

Alec
Day 4
10" blade, can of pepper spray, ice pick

Rations were running low. That morning Alec, Alexa, Ollie, Manny and Zeil sat down to their morning meal. Usually they had three a day, but with the entrance being blocked by these vile creatures, food was running low. Nonetheless the fact that it was winter. Manny had tried his best to make something filling. Something energizing. Something that could make us grab this pandemic by the head and beat it off the ground, but all he could manage was a simple squirrel stew with wild onions.

"Thank God for the heat of this cave." Manny said, letting a small bit of soup dribble from his mouth. He was right, Alec observe. Caves did have a controlled heat source. A few animals probably would have wandered in to escape the snow, had the zombies not torn the local wildlife to shreds. Alec was surprised when Alexa came home with the squirrels 4 days ago, and a healthy supply of snow to keep them fresh. He had felt worthless presenting his collection of wild onions in her shadow. But he dare not say anything. We had to be a happy family now, anything could tumble this house of cards.

After breakfast, Alec and Alexa went to the bend in the cave to spy for zombies. The waited for an hour, and only counted three walk by. "The bastards moved" Alexa whispered.
"We can't be too careful" Alec whispered. He wasn't about to let her get him killed.
"We have no food!" she said, louder than he expected. He was taken aback at her recklessness. There were hordes of satanic creatures ready to kill them just 30 feet away and she had the audacity to raise her voice.
"Fine" he sighed. He took hold of his ice pick, and she grasped her baseball bat. Melee weapons, as to not draw attention.

The fight was horrendous. There were seven zombies in total. Killing the first three was easy. Alexa buried her bat in the zombies head, opening new wounds and letting the blood flow down his face in awkward squirts. Alec was much more clean in his efforts. Simple stab through the eye, swirl and pull motion. They died shortly after. The last four were the toughest. Alexa had grown tired from all the swinging, and had pulled her pistol by the last one. Bang. The zombie dropped to her knees. She was old and grey. "You kinda feel bad for them" She said, resting herself on her bat, which was dug into the ground.
"Yeah" Alec lied. He felt no sympathy for them. It's them or me he thought.

The walked out into the clearing, away from the slaughter. "The rivers this way" she pointed with her hand. "They'll probably be something there for me to catch, assuming it hasn't frozen over."
"I'll check east" Alec said. "The plants will probably be where there is more sun. And firewood. y'know the drill. Mind getting the water if you're going down by the river?" he asked.
"Sure." she said smoothly. I owe her now he cursed himself.

With that they went their separate ways.

Ollie
pistol, three throwing knives, knuckle dusters

After breakfast Alec and Alexa went deeper into the cave to do whatever it is they do. Patrolling usually, although sometimes I like to imagine them passionately holding each other, softly whispering how much they secretly love one another before kicking major ass. I told Zeil and Manuel this once and they didn't find it as amusing as I did. Oh well, their loss.

I bite down on my nails and decide to go bother Manuel. I like him, he's nice and sometimes he lets me help if it means I'll stop talking his ear off. The thing is, I can't stand not doing something. So when I'm bored, I'll start jumping in circles and make up stories to tell the others. I think they secretly like it. I think that if I wasn't here, their days would be very long.

"Manuel!" I sang, skipping into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ollie." He said softly, sweeping the crumbs away.

"Guess what?" I smiled and sat in one of the chairs.

Manuel's eyebrows knitted together but he didn't say anything.

"I wrote a story about you!" I beamed. "Well, I didn't write it but you know. Do you want to hear it? Actually, I'm going to tell you either way so here it goes. Once upon a time there was a man named Manny-"

"My name isn't Manny." He interjected.

"It's a story!" I cried, my eyes widening. "So anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, there was a man named Manny. He had dark hair and always wore his favorite ugly flannel shirt. One day he met a girl named X-"

"X?" Manuel cut me off again. "X isn't a name."

"Yes, okay, thanks for that." I sighed. "I'm aware it's not a name I just haven't come up with one so right now her name is X." I cleared my throat. "ANYWAYS, as soon as Manny laid eyes on X he instantly fell in love. However, X was the princess and Manny was just a lowly peasant. How could Manny ever compete with her other rich suitors? Well, the other guys might've had money but Manny had the biggest more pure heart in all the kingdom. He broke into the castle and declared his love to the princess. After listening to his speech she realized he was the one. They got married and lived happily ever after." I stood up and bowed. "The end."

"Do all your stories revolve around love?" He asked.

"Yes." I said flatly. "Love is magical. Love can do anything. Why? Do you not want to fall in love someday?"

He sighed and took a while before answering. "I suppose. If the circumstances were different, maybe."

"What do you think she'll be like?" I asked.

Manuel shrugged.

"Maybe her name will be X."

He chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."

Alexa
baseball bat with nails sticking out, a pistol with 6 rounds and a shotgun with 12 rounds.

"I'll check east." Alec replied as we were parting ways from the zombie watch. "The plants will probably be where there is more sun. And firewood. y'know the drill. Mind getting the water if you go down by the river?" he asked me. I smiled and replied, "Sure."

I didn't mind helping out the only family like people I had. The zombies had took all my family, and my poor baby, well, I don't even know what to say. The strive to have my own family some day actually helped me to stay sane. My little peanut wouldn't have wanted me to commit suicide. Some people actually thought I would, but I had to pull myself through it.

Back to reality. Walking down a hill was some hard work. Walking up it with stuff in your hands and possibly running into a zombie was even harder. Hearing things I crouched down after looking to see if anything was behind me. No one was. I peered looking down the hill. There it was, a female zombie, she was just walking around, she didn't look as though she was a full zombie yet.

"Hello?" I called. She looked up and immediately saw me. "Don't!" was all I heard. I knew another zombie had to be around here somewhere because her mind and body was still changing. "I have to kill you!" I replied looking at the girl.

A few seconds later she must have fully changed, the girl came running at me and screaming. One hit with my bat was all it took. The blood squirted everywhere, like always. I then began my walk down the hill to get some water. Listening carefully, I heard some animal in the woods. "Yes! Food!" I say happily.

The squirrels weren't hard to shoot. I know the people back at camp were tired of squirrel but they had to eat what I could find, not many deer are in this part of the woods.

Grabbing a bucket I got some water and brought the squirrels back to camp.

"I got more squirrel!" I yell as I walk up to the people I saw. First came Ollie, she was such a sweet little girl. It made me sad to even look at her, and see that she was going through getting her life took by a zombie just like us. It hurt and I was more eager to protect her.

Alec was just walking up when I was. He didn't look surprised that I had gotten there first. Honestly sometimes I thought he didn't like me. Manny was sitting by a fire we had made for the food earlier, it was still a little chilly out today so I was glad to feel the warmth of it.

Zeil
Day 4
A machete, an axe (non throwing), and a set of 4 grenades.

I was sitting atop a rock near the back of the cave, whittling away at a stick I had taken from the pile of firewood that was slowly running down. There wasn't much to do during these apocalyptic times, but I had to do whatever I could to keep from going crazy.

I observed Ollie telling Manuel a story she had made up, she was always making up stories, anything to keep from her from being bored.

But that was exactly what I was, bored; if only a little. Not only was I bored, I was also hungry; VERY hungry. It's not that the squirrels and wild fungi or whatever it was that we'd been eating lately wasn't good, but I would certainly be quite happy to see Alec and Alexa bring back a deer. Now THAT would certainly be tasty. Unfortunately deer were scarce in these parts. So we had to make do with what we had available.

Suddenly I heard Alexa's voice call out, "I got more squirrel!" Ugh, that's just great, more squirrel, I thought, as she walked into the cave. I stood up and walked over to the others, then I sat down again; next to the fire. I held out my arms and started warming my hands. This cave was nice and all, but it was a bit cold at times and was slightly damp. Of course, it was better than being outside.

"Good, you caught something." I said to Alexa. "Hurry and throw this thing on the fire Manny, I'm starving."

"Were you implying that I can't catch things?" Alexa asked me. She seemed slightly upset.

"Of course not," I try to reply sweetly. Of course, I don't know if that's exactly how it came out. "You can catch lots of things I'm sure, except deer it seems."

"EXCUSE me, but I-" Alexa started. Seems I definitely made her angry this time. However, I pretended not to notice and continued.

"The ONLY thing that I WAS implying is that I'm hungry and I require sustenance!"

Alec
10" Blade, can of pepper spray, ice pick
Day 15

It has been three days since Alexa brought anything to eat. Alec had tried to pick up the slack, but natural findings had been slim lately too. It seemed like even the forest, the sanctuary, was trying to force them out. None of them had even eaten today, and it was half past five. Something had to be done, everyone was suffering from the hunger. We have to move Alec thought.

Alec walked over to Manny. He was sitting by the fire, gazing into it as if the solution to all their problems was flickering in the flames. "Manny, I need to talk to you about something."

_________________________

Everybody was gathered in a circle. Manny and Alec were standing in the middle. Alec had wanted to do this himself, establish dominance, but everyone thought of Manny as a leader. Alec knew that not many people here thought the best of him. Everyone was so eager to get to know each other, but that wont help when one of them turned and they had to kill each other.

"Every one. Every one please." said Manny. Nobody was talking, but he felt it was necessary to start a meeting. "We all know that food has been pretty slim lately.
"I'm trying my best!" Alexa said. "It's just hard ya'know."
"Yes I do know." Manny said. "Nonetheless, it's not anybody's fault, it's just the animals seem to be getting smarter. Avoiding anything remotely human looking. They're adapting."
"Could they be infected?" Ollie asked, obviously scared.
"No." said Alec. "It has already been proven that animals can't be infected. They're just getting smart." Alec tried to say it as gently as possible, but ended up sounding snarky.
"Back to point." Manny said "We have to leave the cave."