City of Dis

[Toneh]

The people New Zion had done well in the past four months. Considering the town had survived an attack by rogue elements of the ANC, most of the town’s adult population dead, and its greatest defender horribly maimed, the road to recovery was hard earned, but it was earned. Ira was no longer hobbling around on a fake leg, but had gone through the horrid process of rehabilitation at the hands of Mathilda. For the first two months it was disturbing to the new inhabitants to watch the pair march through the streets as she screamed instructions into his ear. But Ira was as hard bitten as his “Doctor” and he soldiered on. Four months into it, Mathilda’s belly was bulging and she was easily fatigued, Ira was prowling through the streets with a vigor none in this town had seen in him. But he was restless, so Gaberial was not surprised when Ira grabbed his rifle, loaded up the APC the town had captured and headed south into the ruins which many of the original townies of New Zion had warned him to avoid at all costs.

Much to the amusement of Francisco, the horror of Gaberial, and the un-surprise of Mathilda, Ira had taken this rumor of the ruins being a “Bed for Satin’s children” to be a challenge worthy of his skills.

Nearly two weeks have past, and Ira has not returned to New Zion.


The nights were cold in New Zion, tonight was especially windy and cold as that dry cold air blew across the barrens like the breath of the devil him self. The voracious wild life that usually could be heard screeching in howling in the night was unusually silent.

The town was dimly lit, and most of the population was indoors. But the scent was over whelming! The hearts were beating inside of its body as its clawed feet silently pounded into the dusty ground. It could smell them, men, women, children, pregnant. It could see their heat, and taste their blood. It could hear the faint beating of their hearts.

It wanted to taste them again. It tasted the hard one back in its home. A flick of the muscles and the beast was in the town, silently stalking through the shadows. It made no noise is at begun stealthy prowling around the town, stalking the inhabitants from the darkness.

[Nose_Meat]

Jazzmine was out of her element here. New Zion.......the name even sounded chipper....like a happy piece of metal in her tooth, or a big bite of rotten cottage cheese. She sat in the shadows of the make-shift church, trying to keep away from Ira for as long as she could, although she was most positive that he knew about her already.
"That man with the funny name.... he probably told him...."She mumbled under her breath. Her head rested on the dirty stucco wall, a beam of light hit her in the eyes and her nose was curled up in lazy discontent. She silently wondered if Vester could find her here.....If anyone in the world knew where this scuff mark of a town was. She sighed and held her stomach through her dingy clothes. At least the hunger was gone... they ate well around here.
It seems like a nice enough place. She sat up, batting her eyes, and peered from the crack in the modest room that they referred to as a window. She couldn't see anyone outside... ..and it looked Grey and dismal. She frowned. Somehow she knew this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Something was......off about this picture. She sighed and shuffled to the door, running her hand through her stringy black hair as she pulled on the pig-iron handle.
After walking through the relatively small chapel, she held the handle to the outside as if there were a fire on the opposite end.
"Why do you want to go out there, Jazz?" She said to herself. She didn't know.... something wanted her to go... to run. She knew she was safe in here. A scratchy blanket that kept her from the chilly darkness outside that held her tightly around the face and arms, smothering her, helping her. She should stay...But she had to breathe.

She opened the door an inch and stuck her eye out. As if it would scare away anything that threatened her. Her hand fell to her handgun, cursing herself for leaving the AK47 in Gabe's custody. She pushed the door open and the air surrounded her and the chill took her breath away for a split second. She blinked and stepped down off the stoop. The air hung like damp clothes. It smelled. It was dank like a dirty lie. Everything was covered by a thick fog of gloom.
Seemed like home to her.
She didn't like it.

[poonwrangler]

Francisco sat in the middle of the sparsely populated inn, leaning his chair back on two legs with ankles crossed, and placed firmly on top of the table. The town had attracted a vast migration of people from Barter Town, and the ex slaves and refugees were being herded into the INN until Gaberial and his fellow Christers could get some more houses built.

His gloved hand reached out and grabbed a small clay mug, and brought it gingerly to his lips. He sipped the cinnamon flavored liquid daintily as he set about reading his data pad seemingly ignoring. One of the squatters was feeling especially skittish, and was softly voicing his concerns.

“Why is it so quiet out tonight? Usually you can hear the animals screaming and howling…all we can hear is the wind…”

A young woman spoke up “It must be the sudden weather change, it probably has all the critters huddling under a rock. Stop worrying about it you are scaring the kids.” The woman said trying to soothe the older man.

“Mommy why does it smell like poo?” A young child said very audibly.

“Honey that is just the new air coming in.”

Francisco started chuckling, but he seemed utterly calm. He merely looked around the room, at all of these people. “Well the silence..animals usually are silent when an especially dangerous predator is about.” Francisco said in a cheery voice “The smell…well that is probably the predator in question…or his last victim.”

“All I know is Ira has been gone for an awfully looong time, and predators usually have a good sense of smell and direction, would not take much more then a wife of Ira’s armor to track him back…here.”

Francisco smiled and continued reading his data pad. The Inn was now much more silent then before.

[Kings Anointed]

Gabriel slowly made his rounds about town, he made sure everyone was in some sort of structure. It was by his guess 8ish in the evening, the sun had been down for two hours and it was cold. He heard only the wind and had a deep whole in his heart having heard nothing of Ira the past two weeks. "Ira damnit... I know things aren't as interesting as you'd like them to be here but this town needs you Mathilda, she's about to give birth, she needs you here!" Gabe was shocked more at how much he used slight curse words now. Ira's vocabulary had truly began rubbing off on him especially in times of stress. But he sighed remembering his last words to Ira before the mad man left in their primary defense vehicle. Deep inside Gabriel was breaking down. The loss of so many of his friends now what was now months ago wore greatly on him. Now, the current season of drought, the bitter cold of winter which, seemed even more bitter given what all has happened, and the apparent and blatant disregard Ira clearly had for them by this latest stunt of his had begun to in bitter Gabriel.

People in town saw it too. The new comers as well as those who'd survived the onslaught all noticed Gabriel changing, as did Gabriel and it just made him more angry. Yes he still believed in his God but did he love him as much as people believed he did? No. At this point he barely prayed in his limited free time, he mostly pondered and mulled over how he was going to cope and keep this town from completely collapsing into anarchy and ruin. Truly the weight of the world seemed to fall squarely on his shoulders. These were now dark times for New Zion that went without saying, however, he kept hope for the brightest day to come shining upon them again, It and Christ was the only thing keeping him going.

As Gabriel made sure all the scattered settlements around town had some stockade of weapons for emergency he made his way back to the church and found Jazz outside of the church, "You want to keep guard with me?" He asked her softly and offered, "You'll get your weapon for that time also." For, Gabriel himself was armed with an APC Repeater, club, and ammo. He could feel the bitter wind blow harder than usual and he looked off into the distance for a moment smelling something greatly foul...

[Toneh]

Saliva pooled on the ground below its jaws, the hot liquid sending small curls of steam floating away seamlessly with the wind. The beast made no noise as it stalked through the town. It could feel the sounds of voices carrying through walls, and the vibrations of feet hitting the dirt. It was out side of Ira’s house, the duel heart beat of the pregnant woman sleeping inside made its belly tighten with hunger. This place had the hard creatures smell, this was the invader’s lair.

The beating hearts of this town’s inhabitants made its gaping maw open with anticipation as it silently moved again. It was now on a roof, roughly fifty yards behind Gaberial. The man’s back was turned to it he made conversations with a female.

The female’s smelled stronger, it could taste her blood stood on the roof of the shack for a second or two. Jazzmine who was facing out would see only a silhouette, and then it would be gone.

[Nose_Meat]

The air was cold and thick like death and was so cold that the windows were covered with a thin layer of hoar frost. The cold was biting and raw. Her skin prickled at the chilly gusts and she held onto herself with an unsure look about the round. The dead gray buildings looked like lonely souls who had lost their way in the darkness. Not the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a town called New Zion. She shivered uncontrollably, having been raised in the desert. She bit her lip, her jaw trembling...and she felt this darkness consume her. Not The Darkness.....but a different kind. Her hand skittered down her stomach to the firearm, absentmindedly. Something was here...she could feel something. She breathed in and held it. Her head pounded. She pulled the handgun from the holster silently and held it to the side of her, flipped it open, spun it, and cocked it. Her body tensed, her head hung a bit lower and her eyes were parallel to her neck, an evil huntress gaze filled her big blue eyes as she sidestepped around the side windows of the chapel. A frown on her face, her raven hair in her sight, but not breaking her concentration and accuracy. She could hear it...something high...

, "You want to keep guard with me?"
His voice was soft against her neck and it tickled down her spine. She jumped a bit. It the first time she had been caught off guard in a long time. She smiled a bit, unwilling to break her gaze from her "target" but did anyway to see Gabe.
"You'll get your weapon for that time also."
Her voice was charming and melodic....matching nothing in the dismal wilderness as this.
"Oh, sir... you don't have to bribe me with guns....However much that would help. I think something's not right....as if.... eyes...eyes are watching things around here."
She took a furtive glance downward and met up with his eyes.
"What do you suppose it is?'
Gabe responded with a soft and quiet whisper of a voice as if a sleeping baby were to be awakened. She caught a glimpse of something behind him...something high...it made a minute scuffle on the mud-plastered roof, only a hunter could catch. She tensed up, like a cat after a mouse, and started to tell Gabe....but hesitated....

Its just your mind...you're dreaming it again...
Don't mention anything, Doll.
The dark one....he's here for you Jazzmine...
He's here... you're coming with him
Tell the pig to go away!
Accept it Jazzzzzzzzzzzz
You're ours.

she clenched her teeth. Told Gabe everything he wanted to hear, and they were off in the opposite direction.

Her heart beat a billion times faster......and she couldn't scream...

[poonwrangler]

The inn was silent, and all eyes were locked on Francisco. He did not even give these people a second thought. His cup of tea raised up to his lips and he sipped the sweet liquid, daintily licking his lips and savoring the flavor. He then paused and turned his head slightly. “Do we have a staring problem?”

“No sir…with Mr. Ira gone…you are the best soldier in town..”

Francisco sneered and smiled. “I’m not a soldier!” He said half laughing. “I am a hunter! I bring you meat and hides, you keep me drunk off of this delicious tea and pussy!”

The inn keeper piped up. “Well can we hire you to fill Ira’s position?”

Francisco’s eye brow rose. “Can you?”

A minuet later The door to the inn opened and that cold air was biting at Francisco’s face. He stepped out side, his heavy boots slamming into the dirt, his thick jacket flapping in the wind, and his brimmed hat was seemingly glued to his head.

A massive brightly colored scarf was wrapped around his face, and the end of it flapped majestically into the wind. He Saw Gabriel and that woman speaking. His eyes, went into the UV spectrum at night. Fluid, foot prints.

Something was in the town. That stench of rot and decay was saturating the town. Francisco paused and started looking around, his pulse rifle was slowly pulled from his back. He switched it on. It made a very audible whistle as the EM generator fired up.

[Kings Anointed]

Gabe always ever since meeting Jazz enjoyed the sound of her voice, no matter if she was trying to sound seductive or just came off that way naturally. "I wasn't trying to bribe you, If you're going to be with me you need to be ready for anything...-"

Suddenly from the corner of his eye he saw and heard something and drew the repeater out toward the sound's origin. Had he not realized it was Francisco flapping hos coat primping cockily like a peacock to impress the new-commers he'd be dead in the street. Maybe even if Gabe did realize who it was the same may have happened. He didn't like Francisco, but that was more so for his morals than anything else. Truth is, in these hard times the man has proven useful and helped out with the lack of crops by hunting.

Gabe then lowered his weapon listening to the hum of Francisco's weapon then said in a raised voice , "Being so silent and sudden nearly got you shot sir." Then looking back to Jazmin he sighed softly only able to smile because of her desert beauty. The dirty hair, dust uniform, and scuffed boots. Her form wasn't bad on the eyes either. When he realized his eyes were wandering to other parts he caught himself sighed, "Damned human weaknesses." He whispered softly, then looked back to Francisco, finally he looked into the moonless night. It seemed even the stars were consumed in hazy darkness. As the wind blew Gabriel got an inkling of a foul stench, that of decay. He'd wondered if something had dug up the bodies of those who died months ago. Surely they'd been buried deep enough. "Lets go to my shed and get your big gun Jazz." Gabriel started off not liking the feeling he had forming in his gut. It was too familiar as he realized what it was because he'd seen smelled it before ages ago when he was kid before his parents died... Seems as though the demon that devoured his parent's had returned. Gritting his teeth, revenge filled his heart for a moment. He stopped to make sure Jazz was even following not wanting her to get lost alone in the dark especially if it's what he thought might be happening.

[Toneh]

Three of them out doors. Three juicy succulent targets. The female and the male, their hearts fluttered with fear. The weakness of Gabe and Jazzmine was almost too irresistible to pass up. The hot man, his body glowed like a Christmas tree, and he was following the trail. He must have the site too, just like the hard skinned man. Kill, kill them all!

It moved once more, through the darkness. That sickly stench of rot and decay was now growing more intense as it bared its teeth and the drool flowed onto the dusty earth imitating the river of blood it intended to spill. It was stalking the hot man, now, staying at jumping distance but sticking to the roof, and trailing his scent and the sound of his heart rather then staying in plane view. It was close to him. Where the hot man (Francisco) would hear a scratch or a claw; he would see nothing but fog and darkness.

The scared pair would smell that stench, and would feel the presence of an ancient hatred; they would feel that ever present chill that a human being gets. It is the feeling of a baser instinct, a much deeper fear. It feels like a small pit of fire burning in your chest, and pin pricks on the back of your neck, it is the feeling the body gets when a predator is lurking.

[Nose_Meat]

They stood there like children, staring at each other dumbly..only Fransisco knew what the hell he was doing. The mechanical hum from his gun charging bore holes into the back of her brain.
"Being so silent and sudden nearly got you shot sir."
Jazz smiled half in disgust half in relief that someone with a better weapon was there now.
Fransisco just smiled that silly smile of his..like everything was a joke only he knew the punchline. She was used to people like him. He didn't bother her..so she didn't care for him.
Jazz suddenly felt more than two pairs of eyes on her and she caught Gabe gazing from the corner of her eyes. She tried to decide if she felt awkward or comforted. She stepped closer to him.
"What did you see?" Jazz called to him with her forceful voice, The loudest thing in the village, echoing off the dismal buildings, "What made you draw your gun?'
Just then she saw the glimpse of that shadow that split second ..and then it was gone...
Let it eat the bitch.....
He doesn't maaatter.....
LET HIM DIE!
The darkness creeped into her eyes but she closed them and gritted her teeth, crumpling downwards, heaving in pain
"FRANSISCO...ABOVE YOU.....ITS BEHIND YOU...."