GET OUTTA YOUR MIND (c)

[BIRDY TAYLOR]

She should really be getting used to this whole running around in circles thing. It was all she did nowadays anyways to pass the time and to avoid getting caught and subsequently eaten by who knows what. Birdy had come to realize that the hostiles were not restricted to those who had previously lost their functioning minds to the disease. Oh no, they were other, more intelligent villains who walked the streets. She supposed she shouldn't have been so naive. Of course there were criminals out there. There had always been criminals, even before the end of the world. She should have guessed that, without rules or law enforcement breathing down their backs, those criminals would have gone wild in a whole different way. Birdy had seen heinous crime firsthand. A woman, beautiful even in these times, was purposely fed to a group of awaiting zombies. She had been pushed. Met her death while others looked on. Birdy herself was too afraid to say something to this group of survivors, and instead, left before she could meet the same fate. So, here she was again, all alone, continuing on her mission to locate her little brother.

How she had made it to and then around Fremont Street was a miracle all in its own. The place was infested with poor undead souls. They shuffled around aimlessly, letting out sharp gasps as if in pain. There eyes, faded and glazed over, darted around, looking for anything, anything to eat. When a scrap was found, a call was made, and the surrounding individuals made a break for the poor critter that had got itself in the mess.

The group she was keeping an eye on was fighting over a pigeon. Feathers were thrown up every which way as the monsters gnashed their yellowed teeth, hoping to find purchase on the meat, still warm with life. Birdy bit her lip as she watched the poor thing. It called out, frightened, but it was no use. Its friends knew better than to go in and save it. They all stayed high above the mass of undead humans, happily clucking amongst themselves. If only she could fly too. Man, that would make escaping a whole lot easier. But alas, she was stuck with the same four limbs those monsters had. At least she had a functioning brain. That was a plus.

Birdy silently crept to the alley opposite of the creatures, being extra careful not to be located. She had already outran three of the creatures, and she was getting tired. Being out in the open was irresponsible, she needed to find a place to hide. A fire ladder came into view before her, and she grasped it, testing its strength. It held fast, so she clambered up, not caring what amount of noise she made now. The creatures could not match her speed, and she would be quick to disable the ladder as soon as she reached the top.

She passed windows, sparing glances inside. The souvenir shops looked like war grounds. Blood smeared the interior, and bodies, unable to reanimate because of how much had been stripped from them, lay in pools of sappy liquid. Zombies walked solemnly around them. If they noticed her, they scrambled to the windows, bouncing off of them lamely as they tried to reach her. They were incredibly stupid when they were by themselves, she had come to find out, and most of them that were inside the buildings had yet to group up with the others. Birdy continued to climb, finally reaching the roof. She peered over it and found no sign of life or death. Still, she took great caution in heaving herself over the edge. As soon as she did so, she took out her screw driver and got to work unscrewing the screws that held the ladder to the roof. She soon found out that this was pointless, considering the screws had been rusted into place, but she let out a sigh of relief when she saw that no zombie had been on her tail. The ladder was void of creatures, save for a pigeon or two. She replaced her tool and scanned the roof, stopping short when a noise to her left caught her attention. Bird glanced over, taking quiet steps backwards to distance herself. What could it be? Another zombie? She grabbed the screwdriver once more, holding it out in front of her in case the situation called for it.

She heard no uneven breathing, in fact, the sounds were more like lithe footsteps. No zombie moved in such a way. Birdy's heart was pounding as she recalled the villainous act she had seen days before. Would she be meeting her end as well? Or was it, perhaps, a friendly stranger?

Only one way to find out.

"Show yourself." She said softly, her voice shaking. Birdy took deep breaths in order to calm herself down.

notes: FOR DOLL. lol she's already creeped the fuck out ;A; ps sorry its so long, lol. i tend to do that for the first post...8I

[MICHAEL NEWLANDER]

Fremont Street. Oh boy, this was his first time here! He had lived in Las Vegas since his teens but he’d never bothered to come here. What was the point? It was just some place hot for tourists to visit. They thought it was ‘cool’ for some strange reason. Maybe they thought everything about Vegas was cool when it was just the same as every other place. With maybe a few more bars and casinos. But that’s why people are so stupid. They think one thing is better than another just because there are more of them and they’re bigger, and they just can’t be happy with what they got where they were. Well, they better be happy with what they have now. But wait! They’re zombies. They no longer have the ability to be happy! Michael laughed to himself as he continued to walk through the streets. Silly little people. They came allll the way to Las Vegas just to get eaten by these blood-thirsty monsters. I hope it was worth it…Actually, no I don’t! You deserve everything you got! His laughter picked up, before quieting all together.

There was the group of zombies. They must’ve been attacking a bird or something. That’s not what interested him, though. No. There was this girl. Since must’ve been in her late teens early twenties. It was hard to tell anymore and Michael really couldn’t give two shits about it. People were all the same to him. Except for Sam. Sam was the only one that would ever matter. He was the only important person on this world. That didn’t matter at the moment, either. He focused his gaze on her, but stayed out of sight. He watched her as she watched the zombies fighting over whatever small thing they had. They girl seemed to creep her way down and disappear down an alleyway. That was his cue to go.

He followed her to the alley quietly. The zombies were too enthralled in their little feast to even notice he was there. How disgusting. The girl went up a ladder that she happened upon in the alley and took it down once she was safely up. No matter, Michael could find another way up.

There was a dumpster that happened to be on the same side as the ladder. He stacked some boxes and anything he could find really, until it was tall enough that he could grip the ledge and pull himself over. It was much more difficult than a ladder, but it got the job done. He knocked the boxes over and went in the direction that the girl went.

He really had no clue where he was going, but the best way to go was up, right? So that’s what he did. Even if he didn’t find the girl, it’s not like she’s going to survive that much longer. Girls are weak! People are weak in general. Especially dainty little people like her. They aren’t going to survive on their own. They’re too busy stuck in the past life to even realize that they’re dead men walking. Well…not literally because they aren’t zombies yet, but soon enough. Soon enough they will fall to these beasts that now claim the streets of Las Vegas. And when they’re all gone, nothing will be left except for him and his brother. They will be the last ones on the Earth before it’s completely destroyed. Then he’ll be the one laughing at them. He’s already laughing at them, just in anticipation!

Michael heard something from ahead and assumed that it was the girl he had been following. It sounded like she was trying to unscrew the ladder again, but the noises stopped before there was any big bang. The girl was on the roof and she couldn’t get the ladder to fall. Good luck on his part. Now he had easy access.

He gripped the ladder and began walking up the steps. He kept himself as quiet as possible, but in this dead silence even the slightest noise could be heard and no one could be silent when they were walking up the stairs. The girl heard him and he cursed up his breath. His surprise element was gone, but oh well. It didn’t change the fact that the girl was cornered.

“Show yourself,” he heard the girl say quietly. He didn’t miss that shake that her voice held and he wanted to laugh, wanted to so badly. But maybe he should play the nice guy. Just for a few minutes. It could be fun, right? Toying with people was just a nice and dandy thing to do when daily life got boring.

Michael ran up the last few steps before he emerged on the roof, a faux look of scare on his face. He pulled himself over the ledge and stood without taking any steps. His breaths began shallow as his acting took over. “I’m sorry for following you! It’s just so hard being on my own!” he looked down at his feet. “I-I hope you don’t mind…” Then he added: “Ever since I lost my brother, it’s been so hard…” Family always struck a chord with these types of people, so maybe it would work on her. A young girl that seemed so young and innocent, she had to have lost someone in her family.

Let the game begin.

[BIRDY TAYLOR]

Birdy stood ready to attack whatever lurked in the shadows before her. Her stance was wide and her lips pursed. She could feel her heartbeat ringing in her ears, pushing adrenaline into every able muscle in her tiny frame. What if she was facing one of those vile creatures? The fear of the unknown made her take a quiet step back, away from the darkness cast by the roofing. Another shuffle, and the figure was revealed.

The tiny bird looked up at Birdy inquisitively, cocking its head to the side. Its beady black eyes were void of hostility, and Birdy sighed in relief, laughing at the immense fear she had felt. The pigeon walked to the edge of the roof, opened its wings, and took off lazily, searching for the rest of its flock. Birdy watched its flight before stopping, noticing something emerging from the side of the roof. How? She had knocked the first level from its attachment to the building. A zombie couldn't possibly solve such a complicated problem that was pursuing her. She shuffled back, the dread returning, flooding her mind. Birdy held out the screwdriver as the figure stepped onto the roof. Bathed in sunlight, Bird could tell that he was but a survivor like herself. Her weariness subsided a tad, and she lowered her weapon. The man was quick to explain himself, not that she asked to her his testimony. Birdy still listened, though, while worry replaced the fear she had once had.

Who was this guy? He didn't seem all too threatening by the looks of it. Of course, one can't truly judge someone by simply appearance. Something about him, though, made Birdy particularly uncomfortable. She cast it aside though, listening intently. So, he didn't mean to frighten her. Ok, that was believable she supposed. He did look rather submissive. Not one who wanted to start a fight or anything.

"Um...no I don't mind..."

Didn't mind what? Him scaring the shit out of her? She guessed he must have seen her reaction to his arrival. Well, at least he was polite, she supposed. Jerks were annoying, but then again... They way he portrayed the part of a distressed victim was almost... too perfect. Birdy looked him up and down. He seemed exceptionally fit. Well-muscled and quite attractive. People who looked like him usually had a plan... Birdy looked back to the evils she had witnessed before. The sacrificed girl, the laughing comrades. He resembled them.

Her assessment of him was lost, however, when he mentioned that word. She could have dropped her screwdriver right there in shock. Brother? What a coincidence. The term replaced all doubt of this man's character. She frowned sympathetically at him. Birdy knew what it was like to be without her sibling. That's why she was searching so fervently for her own. "I'm so sorry." Was all she could spare him.

"I'm in a similar situation, you see. I am trying to find my own brother. He's only fourteen... I know it's probably really silly of me to think he made it out of our neighborhood alive but... I can dream, right?"

Wow, she was surprised by how much she had given away. Usually, when people asked, she simply said she was looking for someone. Maybe she just felt this man needed an understanding assertion. Yes, that's what it was. Birdy was expecting a sympathetic nod from him, that's what she usually got from people.

She looked at him in anticipation, her screwdriver hiding within her bag.

[MICHAEL NEWLANDER]

Oh, so she didn’t mind? He knew she would mind when he actually tried something. When his little façade was gone she would be a lot more scared then his randomly popping out of nowhere. People always were. You don’t expect someone to be so nice kind, nervous even, then to be attacking you. Well, some people did, but it was always so much more fun when there was a reaction. Tears were always nice. So was the begging. It made him want to laugh that he had so much power over people like that. They wanted to live so badly. He really didn’t understand why. Most people had their lives destroyed with no one left to love. Why would they want to stay here? He really didn’t care, but the kill was always so much more enjoyable when the person was clinging to life.

No, he shook his head. He couldn’t get distracted from what was right in front of him. He had to focus on the current game, not some other one from the past.

When he mentioned his brother the girl actually apologized like she cared that he was on his own. He wasn’t really, though. His brother was just fine sitting back at where they were staying. Samuel was older than him, he could take care of himself. It nearly surprised him that she actually looked like she generally cared. There was no way she could. People like her only cared about themselves and they’re family and friends not some random stranger. Hell, Michael only ever cared about himself and his brother. There was never anyone else. People were just so weird. He didn’t understand.

Oh. So she was in ‘a similar situation’. That’s must be why she looked so sorry for him. Well, it almost made Michael feel bad that he had hit so close to home. Almost. But it was too bad because he really didn’t give a damn about this girl’s little brother. All Michael knew was that if his brother was actually missing or dead, he’d have to kill some people until he found out what happened to his brother. He definitely wouldn’t be so submissive about it or even think that he was dead. Michael knew better than that. No one’s dead until you see that body splattered on the ground or their saggy-skinned corpse running the streets of Las Vegas. He wasn’t going to try and comfort her. That’s was asking just a little too much. There were just lines that he wasn’t going to cross. Sure, he was already pretending to be nice, but faking sympathy was just too…ew.

Instead he simply said, “Dreams are always nice.” He turned his head away from her. Michael had no clue why he was even pretending to be nice. He should just try and kill her and run away, but he didn’t. He sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. He’d just play for a little while longer, and then he’d pounce. She wouldn’t know what hit her.

OOC- sorry it's so crappy Dx

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[BIRDY TAYLOR]

He was acting very odd. Birdy really had no idea how she was supposed to be reacting when he was confusing the hell out of her with his body language. It didn't match his face at all. Three warning thumps rattled against her ribcage. Even her subconscious was distressed. Birdy took a deep breath and quietly approached him.

The distance between them had decreased considerably after Birdy had taken the three steps required to be an arm's length away. She had no idea why she was even approaching him in the first place. There was just... something about him...

"What's your name?" Birdy asked suspiciously. Her eyes were  a bit hard on him, her suspicion toying with her mind. She wasn't absolutely sure he was threatening, but she might as well change the subject and gather some information, right? Knowledge meant survival, and Birdy was always willing to satisfy her hungry mind. "Where are you from? Around here? How'd you manage to get here on your own?" The questioning ensued as she waited for his responses. Bird was curious. She wanted to know these things.

ooc: ONLY TWO MONTHS LATE MY BAD DON'T HATE ME ILY

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[MICHAEL NEWLANDER]

Michael didn’t like how the girl had suddenly hit him with a bunch of questions. He eyed the girl, in a slightly cold manner. It was really none of her business who he was and how he got there. Ignoring her questions worse only going to make the girl’s suspicion worse, though, and he could already tell there was no way she trusted him—even if they had ‘both lost their brothers’. Common ground was only the beginning point of trust. There were many more steps to come after that.

His eyes strayed away from her and down to his hands which he held in front of him, slowly twiddling his thumbs. “I’m Jordan.” It was the first name that popped into his head. It wasn’t outrageous in the least, but it wasn’t so common that he could be flat out accused as a liar. Besides, it’s not like she had any evidence to what his name and backstory actually was. Even if she had her doubts, there was no way for the girl to actually have any evidence to prove his words wrong.

“I’ve always lived in Vegas. Born and raised here.” He cracked a smile, as if he was proud that he ‘had been here for all his life’. “And I haven’t really been alone… I met up with some other people, we’re sticking together. Sometimes we’re stronger in packs, you know?” It wasn’t really a lie, at all. He was with the other members in the gang his brother formed. They were stronger together; especially when they were throwing the other survivors out for the zombies to eat. It was much easier to survive when those flesh eaters were down another person’s throat.

Michael’s eyes drifted back to the girl. “Now that you know my name, what’s yours?” He honestly wasn’t too curious, but wouldn’t be awkward if he knew her name, but she didn’t know his? It wouldn’t hurt to know about her backstory, either. He might be able to learn how a girl of her age was able to survive. She didn’t really look all that tough. “You’re so young, how’ve you been able to outrun the apocalypse for so long?”

ooc- omg ignore the poor quality of this post