(William Chevalier Ref) ----------(Eloisa “Fairy” Macintosh Ref)
(Dublin Macintosh Ref) ---------(Tsugumi Ryuzaki Ref)
Tsugumi watched the trees in the town sway as a breeze blew through them, rattling the dead husks of leaves that scattered and fell to the ground in wave after wave. The vibrant colors of fall had faded into the dull brown of early winter. It would be getting colder soon; much, much colder. The skirt she so often wore to school would need to be replaced by pants if she was going to manage, and she’d have to find a thicker sweater than the emblem-emblazoned cardigan that she pulled tighter around her shoulders. Her long, braided pigtails were tugged over her shoulder by the wind, which was far fiercer on the top of the building than it was down in the streets below. Usually, at this time of year, she’d be preparing for midterms, worried about passing her exams, which boy liked which girl, the latest gossip around her high school campus. Instead, she was gripping a high-powered sniper rifle on the top of an abandoned city building because she was ‘the best shot in the group.’ Her fingers dug into the cold metal of the gun as she gazed down into the streets that were devoid of any real life. She only said ‘real life’ because the things that wandered through the once vibrant and welcoming city were not really alive. She remembered when it had all happened.
She’d been in school at the time, summer vacation having just ended, and had only recently returned from a month long trip to Japan to visit relatives. She’d been excitedly regaling her classmates with tales of shrines, Tokyo city, beautiful vistas and gardens and just how many people were actually IN Japan, when the fire alarm had gone off. Like every dutiful student, she’d gathered her backpack, speculating on the reasons for the alarm with her friends right alongside her as they made their way outside. It was only when they turned down the hall leading to the front door that she’d seen the first one. It was her favorite coach, the man who ran the tennis team, and Tsugumi had been concerned as he’d stumbled towards them, face coated in some kind of sticky crimson fluid which looked, to her horror, like blood. He hadn’t answered her questions, but when his glazed over, hazy eyes had rolled and landed on her, he’d made a guttural, hungry noise and lurched towards her. She’d screamed so loudly, she was sure she’d burst her eardrums, when a chair slammed down on her coach’s back.
She’d looked up to see one of her professors, Mr. Macintosh, staring down in horror at his colleague. His face had been white, so pale that Tsugumi was afraid he was about to pass out, when he’d suddenly jerked his head towards her and her friends. He’d reached for her, grabbed her first, dragging her along the hall as he shouted urgently for the students to follow him. Tsugumi had been so stunned, she’d been unable to do much of anything else, so she’d stumbled after him, glancing furtively over her shoulder to see her classmates hadn’t moved, but were shouting at her and the professor to come back because they needed to help their coach. Tsugumi had tried to pry Mr. Macintosh’s hand from her own, protesting that her coach was injured and they should call an ambulance, when she heard the first screams from behind. She’d barely managed to glimpse behind her to see their coach lurch to his feet and launch himself at one of her friends from class, tearing into her flesh and ripping as the students became frantic and screamed and panicked.
Still though, Mr. Macintosh didn’t stop, and kept dragging her along, whispering something under his breath as they dashed to the staff parking lot. She remembered being forced onto the back of his motorcycle, told to hang on, and could do nothing but what she was told as they flashed out of the parking lot, passing stumbling, lurching bodies and people screaming and running along the way. Once or twice, Mr. Macintosh had tow swerve to avoid a flailing or a stumbling body, and Tsugumi kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut so she didn’t see the fires, the blood, the people being torn to shreds in fast paced motion around them. Mr. Macintosh had seemed to know what he was doing, where he was going, and Tsugumi could do nothing but hold on tight.
Tsugumi’s grip tightened on her rifle to such a degree that the metal bit into her skin and shook violently. After all of that, their little ragtag group had come together. Mr. Macintosh, who’s name was actually Dublin, had been taking her to his sister, Eloisa Macintosh, who worked for the government, or, more specifically, the CDC. She had met them outside of the facility, which was quickly being surrounded by the military, and after sparing Tsugumi nothing more than a cool glance, she’d promptly informed them that they needed to get somewhere safer; the CDC was not as safe as it seemed. One of the nearby police officers, a name named William Chevalier, had overheard their conversation, and tried, unsuccessfully, to stop them. He’d relented only when Eloisa had snapped at him that if he was so concerned, he should just come along and make sure no one died.
He’d taken that as a personal challenge, casting a worried glance down at Tsugumi, who clung to Mr. Macintosh’s arm with a vice like grip, and nodded sharply. Tsugumi had been struck by Eloisa, who’s nickname was Fairy (to which Tsugumi attributed her long, graceful limbs and delicate body that housed more power than it seemed), and her cold and precise attitude. She’d almost immediately fell into the role of ‘leader,’ barking instructions and commandeering (through the use of her badge) a military vehicle for them. The vehicle had, unbeknownst to them at the time, been stocked with ammo and weaponry, which Dublin had eventually found and distributed accordingly. Tsugumi vividly remembered being handed a pistol and then her sniper rifle. She remembered Mr. Macintosh, or rather, Dublin, as he’d asked her to call him, and how pale his face had been when he’d told her that if anyone attacked her, no matter who it was, she would have to use her weapons.
He’d told her that it was a different world, and things were changing, and that she’d need to be strong if she was going to survive. “If anyone comes near you and they don’t look human, shoot them in the head,” he instructed, and when she’d asked who ‘they,’ and ‘them’ were, he’d only smiled grimly and ruffled her hair, saying “You’ll know.” After that, days started to blur together. Running and fighting and trying to survive. Fairy was able to get them to different safe houses, always managing to duck somewhere that would offer shelter and protection from the ‘creatures’ that appeared in more and more frequency outside their doors. William had been a constant presence, a constant shadow. He’d watched over her, always jumping in front of her, saving her from raising her rifle when her hands shook so badly she’d thought she’d drop it. Dublin was another protector; he always looked after her, and even though he seemed vaguely indifferent to the world and to emotions, he’d been as steady as a rock.
Their leader, Fairy, was cold, precise, and dangerous. Tsugumi had seen her kill brutally, and without remorse. On the few occasions that they’d run into other survivors, it was always fairy who sniffed them out first, determining their worth and merit, and oftentimes leaving them to die. Tsugumi thought it was cruel, but the older woman had explained that she was very good at picking out desperation, and she knew what it would do to those people. They couldn’t afford to let anyone into their group that could potentially be more deadly than the things that shuffled past their cracked doors and windows. It was a frightening and insane existence, but it was one that they had all slowly adjusted to, some less than others.
Sighing to herself, Tsugumi leaned on her elbows, hair and skirt ruffling in the wind. She heard the door behind her open and close, and a familiar head of blonde hair settled next to her. “See anything?” Tsugumi turned to see Dublin’s smiling face, grin so wide his eyes were crinkled shut. She knew those eyes were as blue as the sea, but they never shone with anything but an apathetic emptiness that was frightening and intriguing all at the same time. Dublin still felt like ‘Mr. Macintosh,’ but she’d come to learn he was no more than twenty-three, not much older than herself. His boyish good looks and pretty face made him seem much younger, and his shock of blonde hair and blue eyes might seem rather regular, but they were so pretty that she could’ve picked him out of a crowd of thousands quite easily. “Nothing. Well, nothing interesting. Same ol’, same ol’.”
Tsugumi sighed again, cradling her rifle close. Today was supposed to be a special day, not that it mattered, and maybe her count was off anyway, but it still felt a bit depressing that it wouldn’t be much of an ‘anything day.’ “Soooooooo,” Dublin drawled, and when Tsugumi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed he was gazing off into the distance. “I hear today is your birthday.” A little thrill went through her at the idea that someone remembered her birthday. “You’re eighteen now?” Tsugumi nodded, and Dublin just smiled that same, apathetic smile as he pulled something from his pocket. “Here ya go then, kiddo. It’s not much but…well, it’s not much.” He shrugged blankly, but Tsugumi nearly dropped her rifle in her made scramble to snatch the trinket he’d handed her from his hands. She stared at it silently, turning it over and over in her hands. A little silver chain with a little silver tennis racket charm. “How…how…” she choked out, feeling tears spring to her eyes. Dublin shrugged again.
“The other day, when Will and I went to grab some supplies. Saw it at the jewelry store next door. I thought it’d make a nice present. I remember you mentioning that your birthday was in a few days so…There it is.” Tsugumi held her tears in check as she fastened the little charm around her neck, letting it settle comfortable against her collarbone. “Thank you, Dublin. Really.” She smiled at him with all the warmth she could muster, and he smiled back at her with that same, eye curving grin that meant very little to a man who had nothing left to lose. "Happy birthday, kiddo."
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William bit the inside of his cheek. It had been three weeks since their last supply run. The last time it had been him and Dublin, but this time, Tsugumi had begged to come along. He’d been very reluctant at first, considering the girl had never killed anything, even if she was a damn good shot with that rifle of hers. She had a tendency to hesitate, not wanting to maim or to kill in a world where such a thing was mandatory. William didn’t much like to bring her along on supply runs because he didn’t think it was fair that she HAD to live in this world where she would be forced to kill to save her own skin. But nonetheless, she was there, trailing along silently behind him with her pistol on her hip and her rifle clenched in a white-knuckled grip that would’ve threatened to break the thing in two if it had been any stronger. So far, she was doing well, he decided, glancing around a street corner to ascertain their whereabouts. And so far, she hadn’t caused any trouble.
Maybe he was wrong, and she could hold her own well enough. Her face was pale and her lips were pressed into a grim line, but she looked determined, with her backpack slung over her shoulders. Will hid a smile, even as he clutched his own rifle closer to him. He too had a pistol, with it’s twin sitting on his other hip. Dublin used a shotgun and a pair of pistols as well, but Fairy only ever carried a single gun, preferring to use a katana that she always kept by her side instead. Will had seriously questioned her sanity when they’d first discovered the well-maintained sword in someone’s home and the woman had claimed it as her weapon; but one fight and several decapitated walkers later, he was eating his own words quite quickly. William motioned for Tsugumi to follow him, darting out from the side of a building until they reached the edge of the street. It led to a small park, and a convenience store beyond.
Fairy had gone scouting the day before, and had reported that the edge of town, where the park and store lay, was virtually empty and since they hadn’t gone that far for supplies yet, she’d recommended he give it a shot. William hated going into things blind, but she had a point, so he and Tsugumi set off at a brisk clip through the open streets, feeling very exposed. William had to hiss at Tsugumi to be quiet when she inadvertently tumbled, but when her footsteps ceased behind him, he spun around in a panic, only to see her standing still in the street, head cocked to the side and ridiculously long pigtails falling over her shoulders. He motioned frantically for her to follow him, but when she quickly darted to his side, she pressed a finger to her lips. “Do you hear that?” she whispered urgently, and William opened his mouth to rebuke her, when he caught what she was hearing. It sounded like…music. Loud, bass thumping, draw-every-walker-in-the-area kind of music.
William felt his blood run cold for a minute; if that music was playing, it would certainly lure just about every walker in the area. “Better go check it out,” Tsugumi whispered, and before William could stop her, she darted away from him, her footsteps soundless on the pavement. Cursing silently to himself, the former police officer dashed after her, wondering where her sudden burst of speed and bravado came from. He caught up to her just as she reached the park, looking down at what appeared to be a boom box sitting in the middle of a vast, deserted basketball court. “What do you think?” she whispered, though it was a moot point with the music blaring as it was. She poked at it with her rifle, before squatting down to gaze at it curiously. “I think we need to leave,” William replied tersely, gazing around them uneasily. Something wasn’t right here; of course, the boom box was a HUGE tip off, but still…why was it here, why was it turned on? What was it’s purpose? And more importantly, WHO had put it here?
William’s sharp gaze scanned the surrounding area as Tsugumi prodded and poked the boom box and it’s loud music, silently wondering what song this was, as if that was of any importance. “Tsugumi, we need to-” William began, but was cut off when he saw vague, dark shapes shuffling along the edges of town, towards the park and the basketball court. They were being drawn in by the music. The noise was too loud. Quickly, William turned and pressed a button frantically, turning the music off. Tsugumi frowned, but stood, looking at him in quiet askance, before she too saw the shuffling figures. Her face paled even more, and she raised her rifle immediately. William quickly slammed a hand down on the gun. “No,” he hissed. “You’ll draw more!” But it was too late, and the damage was done. “Shit!” He felt Tsugumi tense beside him, and she nudged him hard in the ribs. “Behind us too!” she squeaked, and Will felt something cold crawl up his spine as he realized the shuffling shapes were beginning to move closer and surround them. Now they were trapped…and they had nowhere to go.
