October 8th, 2012
The children are still missing, and the power is still off. Search parties are returning empty handed to rest up before going out again. The clinic and Ardan's store have gas generator, but currently only enough gas to run for about thirty hours. Ardan O'Neill has his one sporadically hoping to make his meat stores last as long as possible. Catelyn MacArthur has the generator off until they need it.
Mark Davidson arrives at Ardan's store to buy black spray paint, and a few other items. He asks for salt, but Ardan explains that he is almost out, since almost everyone is buying it up to preserve their meat.
Mark returns home and his wife is preparing all the quick-perishing food together for the days meal. She tells him that she met with some of the women around town who told her they knew Ardan O'Neill's grandfather, whom had always talking about Ardan as a famous boxer. She also says the mayor is looking for a group of volunteers to go to Maybery to look for the children there. Mark checks on his laptop in the basement, and receives a message: SOS MIA Maybery. Mark decides he should go to Maybery, and his wife decides to volunteer at the clinic, saying that without power they may need extra hands.
Abigail St Clair shows up at the general store looking for supplies to construct a smoke house. As she and Ardan discuss here needs, Mark returns. He tells Ardan he heard he was once a good boxer and asks if he would like to join him for a trip to Maybery. Ardan, realizing the demand for his store is almost gone as everything the people seem to want he has all but run out of, agrees. They turn to Abigail and ask if she would like to join, and she agrees. Deciding they may need a doctor, they seek out Catelyn and convince her to come along.
Abigail brings her hunting rifle, ever ready. Mark brings his Glock 22, and has one stowed under his seat at all times. The other two don't expect trouble, and bring no weapons. They load up in Mark's SUV, which has been picked clean of all his labeled gear and weapons. Abigail brings her dog, Sarge, with them. They stop by the courthouse to tell the mayor they are going to Maybery. He tells them to speak with the mayor or sheriff of Maybery and see what their situation is.
Its an eighteen mile drive to Maybery. The first fourteen are uneventful, until they spot a guy laying on the side of the road. They pull over and get out. Ardan approaches the guy, whom begins to pull himself up as he nears. The man groans and looks at Ardan, his face caked with blood, and begins to reach for him. Ardan backs away. The man comes to stand and starst to lurk towards Ardan. Mark draws his Glock. Frightened, Ardan slugs the guy. The man lunges at Ardan. They all notice that the guy has two bullet wounds in his chest. Mark opens fire while Abigail gets her rifles. Ardan continues to beat down the guy, while the man keeps coming at Ardan. Abigail fetches her rifle, and she and Mark aim for his head. After a few shots, his head explodes and he's done for. Mark regrets having to kill the man, but Abigail is entirely justified, claiming the guy was not human. Catelyn is appalled and investigates the body. After a few minutes of examination, she is shocked to find that, by all indications, the man died from his previous wounds, and should have been dead when they found him.
Unnerved by this, the group continues on to Maybery. Ardan wraps his hands with boxing tape. Just outside the city, they spot sandbag and barbwire barricades with a rod gate, currently open. There are flyers scattered across the road. They stop and pick the flyers up. They read: FEMA Emergency Evacuation of Maybery - Do Not Enter. They think about turning around, but fear that the children might have gone in, seeking refuge. They get back in the SUV and drive into the town.
They drive past many houses, each with orange spray paint on them with "FEMA" and below it an 'X' with a number in the top wedge, right wedge, and bottom wedge. Some read '4 0 4'. Others '2 2 0'. The numbers seem random. Abigail wonders aloud what they could mean. Mark explains that the top number is the number of people found by FEMA in the house. The bottom number is how many were alive, the side number was how many were dead. Abigail keeps track as they head to the center of town. She counts more alive than dead. When they reach the town courthouse, they see that it had suffered a serious fire. Across the way was the town's doctor's office, which had been fenced off by deployable chain link fences. Within they spot three people laying on the lawn, one a little girl. They decide to investigate.
Mark parks across the street, in front of the courthouse. Everyone but Catelyn gets out of the SUV. They walk up and open the gate. This time, Abigail brings her rifle. They see papers, that appear to be record keeping, left on a picnic table set up at the gate. Ardan, once more, approaches the girl. The girl stirs and looks at him, reaching for him with a face half missing. Ardan punches her in the face. The other two bodies get up and start to hobble over to Mark and Abigail, whom open fire to bring them down while Ardan goes fisty-cuffs with a little girl. Mark calls for Ardan to run.
Back at the SUV, Catelyn watches in horror when suddenly, she hears a crash behind her. A man has jumped through the last, unbroken window of the courthouse and landed on the hood of the SUV. He jumps down and punches through the passenger side window, and tries to pummel her. She searches for a gun, in vain, and uses the cain she uses to help her walk to try and beat him away. He locks eyes with her and roars, terrifying her beyond belief. Unable to escape the car, she goes into a panic.
Mark brings down the man lurching after him and he makes for the SUV. Abigail sicks Sarge on her attacker once he gets too close. Ardan finally beats the girl to death (again) and makes for the gate. Abigail finishes off the last attacker, and she and Ardan start across the street.
Meanwhile, Catelyn manages to unlock the door for Mark. Mark jumps int he driver's seat, whips his pistol right in front of Catelyn's face and fires at the attacker. The flash blinds her, and the noise deafens them both, but the assailant is caught int he shoulder. It scrambles to the top of the SUV, then jumps on the hood and cracks the windshield. Ardan runs up and pummels the guy off the hood. Abigail gets inside the SUV with Sarge. The guy falls in front of the SUV as Mark starts the car. He slams the accelerator and splatters the guy across ten yards. Ardan jumps in. Mark heads straight out of town.
At first, Mark, Ardan, and Abigail are stricken with feelings of guilt. Then, the four of them realize something. Whatever those things were, they were not human, nor alive int he common sense of the word. Their minds justify defending themselves, and they won't hesitate to put those things down if they run in to them again. Mark suggests they continue on to Bear Gate, to buy some salt for Ardan's shop. After catching their breath, they agree.
They get halfway to Bear Gate when the spot a hitch hiker. They stop and Ardan gets out. The hitch hiker is in a black hoody, with the hood up, tatter jeans, and worn boots that are missing their laces. Ardan asks him to pull off his hood. The guy claims he has a condition against the sun, but Ardan insists. The guy pauses, and then does so. He has matted, black hair, and brown eyes, and seems to be in his twenties. He shields his eyes from the sun. Ardan approaches and snatches his arm, checking his pulse. The guy asks, "How's my heart rate?" When Ardan is satisfied, they let him in the SUV. Mark asks where he was heading, and the guy responds that he was heading for Haven Meadow. They tell him they are from Haven Meadow, and are going to Bear Gate. He suggests they don't, and says something terrible happened there. Ardan asks if he's seen any children. When he hears they are searching for missing children, he says, "Guys, you have to listen to me very closely. I know where your children are."
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