` ` Like Fire & Ice

[rebecca]

New York city. Normally a bustling people place, but today the bad news and weather had scared away most of the normal people. Permanently. Rebecca knew that scampering around the streets looking for supplies was risky business but she'd had the urge to pick up a new wardrobe and the zombie apocalypse wasn't about to stop her.

It was quiet in the store, the windows had been bordered over so that the only light came from a the dim emergency lights located by the broken jewelry cases. There was hardly anything left among the fray; most of the smart people had already grabbed what they'd wanted and ran for it. How far they got she had no idea. Gun in one hand, Rebecca thumbed over a thin gray half-sleeved shirt still perfectly hung on the rack.

"Yeah that fabric wouldn't stand up against zombie guts too well," she murmured to herself as the shirt material glided over her fingers.

Rebecca remembered the fear that had been within her heart when she'd heard the news, saw the dead walk again. It had burned liquid hot in her body, paralyzing her. But the shock and realization had faded to something a little less intense and now she found herself more resolved then before; if this truly was the end she would at least go down fighting.

Something moved at the other end of the large department store, closer to the entrance towards the upper level. Rebecca's fingers slid instantly to her gun, heartbeat speeding up with the addition of adrenaline to her system. She wanted to say something but drawing further attention to herself would only end in disaster.

Instead she clicked off the safety on her gun, making sure the shells were loaded.

[silbern]

The middle aged man was turning another corner in his old Chevy truck when his prey finally showed it's fangs. The truck came to a squealing stop as the man stepped out in his dirt dusted cowboy boots and his cowboy hat. He stood ten meters away from the deadly creature as he approached with his eyes narrow and fist clenched. Today was the day he would get his revenge on the bite mark the day before. The wound didn't fester or look to overly infected but the graying man fixed it up with some medical supplies the night before just in case.

He stopped with his boots shoulders width apart as his foe looked back with just as stern eyes. With quick hands he lashed out to try and grab the dastardly attacker but to no avail. The little orange tabby kitty made off down an ally just before the weathered hands could grab it. "God darn it! Be still ye' lil' puss!" Al yelled after the cat as he was in pursuit without a single weapon on hand and a few walkers that were getting curious by the noise. He spit out a wad of saliva that was a dark colour due to the chew tobacco in his mouth. "Oh ho, this thing we got kitty, it ain't over" He ran down the ally after the small cat that seemed to jump up on a few cardboard boxes before jumping into a small window. It would be a cold day in hell before he would let that cute kitten bite him then run off even after he offered to feed it! He slapped his leather cowboy hat against his knee as he let out another spit before realizing a rather weak walker was making his way to the middle-aged man.

Instead of getting frightened or panicking, Al stood his ground as he eyed up his opponent. It seemed like your everyday nerd who seemed to have had better days. Al had long before placed his hands on his hips waiting for the sluggish creature to get close enough before letting out a bone crushing punch to the face. He could bet that the nose was defiantly somewhere in farther along with some teeth but to finish it off he curb stomped the still moving corpse to see his boots get a few bone chips and blood splatters on it. A wad of spit hit the "I <3 WoW" shirt as Allan turned to find a door into the building his kitty dashed for. Quickly entering the building and then placing whatever seemed heavy against it before walking into what seemed like a department store. His cowboy boots echoed with the few steps he made inside while he tried to spot his little orange tabby.

"Here Kitty, Kitty..."

[rebecca]

In the levels beyond the lofty walls of the clothing department store, Rebecca could hear the scraping of walkers. Above the emergency lights flickered, bathing everything in a deep crimson light but her eyes had adjusted now. She eyed her surroundings like a wolf on the hunt as her previous air of sarcasm and nonchalantness dissipated under the threat of a fight.

"Come on out you corpses," she growled low, taking one last look around before grabbing the navy colored shirt from the shelf and stuffing it in her pack.

The tip of her boot crunched on broken glass from a display case that had been previously full of jewelry. Messy obsidian hair tossed across her face and she jerked her head to keep it out of her face, both hands still holding the gun that had been her life saver on more than one occasion.

Bright eyes gazed at the broken escalator, the upstairs seemed even darker without the natural hues from the light outside. Going up just didn't seem like a good idea, walkers or not. Something behind her tipped over, causing a loud crash and Rebecca whirled on heel, gun poised in the direction.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute when she took in the true source of the noise. A small orange tabby cat whipped out of view, darting up the stairs as she tried to make sense of it. For a second she just stood there, a little unsettled, and then the light bout of laughing came.

"Look at me, jumping at my own shadow, I need some sleep," she shook her head, posture relaxing as she realized the danger was passed.

((ooc: oh yay! thanks for joining. my post got kinda swallowed with the rush. =D ))

[silbern]

It was hard to see in such a dimly lite store as the emergency lights only seemed to make things worse with the flickering. It seemed like was moving in the store and there was still no sign of the damned cat! Al grinded his teeth a bit before taking a few more steps into the sea of clothing and other accessories. His fist clenched and released many times as he slowed his breathing so he could hear the slightest of sounds. At first he heard the crunching of glass but he knew that the cat couldn't do that because the tabby didn't weigh that much. It had to be a walker!

He slowly walked towards the noise but it was hard with his cowboy boots on but he had to make do. What made him make a dead stop was the crashing sound and the flash of orange race up the escalator. "I found ya'!"[/color] Al called out as he outstretched his legs in a running motion. He noticed the woman with the pistol laughing almost exactly where the cat made his get away. He didn't really have time for any proper meetings so he jogged in place while dipping the front of his cowboy hat down. "Hey there miss"[/color] Al then darted after the cat by going up two steps with each stride.

He could see a bobbing orange and white tail behind a counter. His time was near and Al knew it. He would finally get that damned cat and get out of this damnable city. Al leaped over the counter with his hands outstretched for the unsuspecting cat. "I GOT YA' NOW PUSS!"[/color] Al screamed in a victorious cheer before suddenly realizing he was grasping onto a fake. He looked around the shop only to see he was in some sort of cos-play do-hicky shop. What really grinded his teeth was the orange tabby at the store entrance licking his paw.

"Why you lil' piece of..."[/color]

[rebecca]

Events moved quickly and Rebecca was lost to her laughing for a few minutes, the weight of the shotgun within her grips seemed to be a little less heavy underneath the change of mood. Before she could regain her composure a figure darted among the dark appearing to come towards her. Rebecca's reflexes were too slow, thankfully enough, and the man made his way after the orange figure with a quick nod in her direction.

For a moment she wondered if her mind had made up the company of the man; it had been days since she'd seen another alive human being. His greeting still ringing in her ears, Rebecca watched him dart up the stairs as the sounds of his voice echoed among the small store's interiors. Had she been anyone else her first thought might have been the attention that was being drawn to them but

Rebecca had long since given up surviving the zombie apocalypse that had over taken them. She wouldn't die without putting up a fight but she certainly wouldn't pass up the chance to speak and share company with a cognizant human being.

"Hey! Wait!" she called after the man, seeing him disappear after he chased the feline around the corner. Rebecca didn't stop to think what kind of person cared about animals during the apocalypse, she was just glad to see another friendly face.

Gripping the rail with her free hand, Rebecca propelled herself up the very dead escalator stairs. She was still feeling the effects of the adrenaline that had appeared during the scare and got to the top pretty easy; the crash would come later surely. Scanning the store, she couldn't see wether the man had been a figment of her imagination or a real person until his voice sounded somewhere in the distance.

"Hello? My name is Rebecca. Are you still here?" she called out to the store contents, hoping to reach the ears of the man.

[silbern]

That damn cat has made a fool of Al for too long! The cowboy got on all fours with his ass in the air like a lion that was on the prowl. Target Locked. Engine Roaring. A little red cross hair was placed on the cute tabby kitten before him as his slightly wrinkled eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to pounce on his target he could hear a woman's voice coming from the direction of the stairs that he previously just climbed up. He turned his surprised head back towards the kitten only to see the feline looking at the woman.

NO! His mind screamed out as he could see the cat was about to retreat yet again. He spent an entire day chasing this cat around New York City risking his life on more then one occasion. He wasn't going to let this puss escape this moment. The older cowboy leaped from his position as the cat only looked back in surprise and horror. In mid flight you could easily see a big grin erupt on the man's face. His leather hat flew off his head as his hands coiled around the small cat's orange and white fur. A small surprised meow escape the fur ball as the two glided across the waxed floor.

"Yee haw!"[/color] He shouted in victory as he raised the squirming kitty into the air. A big, happy grin stayed put on his face until he lowered his feline companion down for a big kiss. It wasn't until he looked away from the tabby was when he could see the woman with a shotgun.

"Oh..."[/color] He fumbled for a proper greetings. He quickly rose to his feet and with his spare hand he gathered his hat to place securely back on his head. "Hello Ma'am. Name's Allan"[/color] He nodded like before by placing his hand on the front of his hat and dipping it.

[rebecca]

Movement and noise reverberated through the smaller upper department area. Most of the items within were kitchen supplies and lawn care materials that took up most of the area. Rebecca bumped up against a shelf of dishes, causing the wrack to wobble slightly as she rounded the corner with her shotgun tucked at her side.

A figure stood up among the darkened red interiors of the store, a fuzzy orange ball clenched between large yet gentle hands. Rebecca watched as the man grabbed for his hat and noticed her eyes on him. For a moment she considered why he had been through the building.

Most sane people would worry more about themselves then the life of a small creature lost in a nightmare. She wondered if he'd reverted back to caring for the small things like she did now. The bigger picture didn't matter, the world around them was crumbling and Rebecca knew that without the small things she would have long lost her will to continue onwards.

"Pleasure to meet you," Rebecca gave a nod of her head, and asked with a quirky elevation of her right brow, "Your cat I take it?"

She didn't want to seem overbearing or judgemental. Rebecca could feel her heart racing with the aspect of having another living human being to talk to. Thoughts and questions swelled in her mind and it was all she could do to keep a calm face. God, how long had it been since she'd had a conversation? Way too long.

[silbern]

Al kept a slight smile towards the other survivor while the cat just got comfortable grasp. It seemed the furry feline has just succumbed to his fate as it purred while Al's thumbed brush along it's head. The man's focus however was more on the woman directly in front of him. She was obviously younger then him and on top of that she was armed with a shotgun. It was a shame to just leave her in this department mall but he had a goal in mind. His usually welcoming smile changed to a more determined and focused face with a clear goal in mind.

He did however answer her question as he made his way for the stairs to lead him downstairs. "Yeah, this lil' furry sucker gave me some trouble but he's worth it"[/color] he explained as he reached the top of the stairs with an easy walk. He stopped his momentum at the top of the stairs only to turn while leaning on a railing. "Ma'am"[/color] He said with a uncertain voice. "I'm heading north to find a certain someone that's important to me"[/color] He turned while gritting his teeth and descended the stairs in an easy pace. Assuming she would follow behind him he just continued to explain his situation and how she could be a part of it. "You can come with me if ya' please but a fair warning for ya'."[/color] He paused while he reached the bottom of the stairs. "I will not stop for anything and I will leave you behind if you prove to be too much of a hindrance. Please don't get me wrong, my Mama didn't raise me wrong but I need to reach this person"[/color]

He hugged the tabby kitty close as he made his way to the rear entrance where he entered from with or without her.

[rebecca]

Heading north? As in like mountains north? Rebecca could barely wrap her brain around the idea. It made sense. Most of the walkers would be in busy towns and cities like New York. She had figured that her living here would be only so long but the thought of leaving behind the city that held the only remains of her old life left a certain coldness in her heart. She followed the man, Allan, down the stairwell and listened to his conversation while holding the shotgun down and away.

"Buddy, I would go where ever you wanted just for a piece of conversation. You have no idea how long it's been with just me," she grinned, boot clicking on the ground of the bottom step. Walkers seemed like a far off problem in the shrouded little department store.

Outside it was still light and spires of natural light poked in through windows that overlooked the streets. It didn't look like there were many walkers outside but the few that did litter the grounds had propped themselves up against polls and resigned themselves to walking aimlessly around. She knew their docile nature was only a guise for the hunger that lurked within.

"I'm game. I'd expect you to leave me behind if I didn't pull my weight. Shit happens right? I mean I would have never expected the zombie apocalypse if I hadn't seen it for myself. Even now it feels unreal," her voice trailed off, eyes wandering among the streets for signs that they had been spotted by the hungry crowds outside.

[silbern]

Well it would seem that the older guy would get some company at least for a while. She had a shotgun so at least she could handle herself and to still be alive meant something right? The small orange fluff ball under his arm started to rub his head against the leather jacket eagerly as Al's thumb continued brushed over the fur. Al spit some of the dark saliva on the ground from his chew before going towards the door.

"Well miss, if yer' interested in a long conversation then I advise we get to my truck outside"[/color] Al suggested before opening the few plexi glass doors to the outside. A small breeze blew against his skin as he could smell the death that reek the streets. Across the street was his dirt covered, red Chevy with the keys in the ignition. It was time to go on the attack and not to show any fear for that was the walkers greatest weapon. How can ya' beat something you fear?

Al kicked out with his boots to catch a walker that was leaning against a pole around his legs. The walking corpse hit the ground while Al kicked in the decaying skull to coat the boats yet again in a dark red paint job. All his movements were fluent and filled with continuous momentum towards the truck as he ignored the left side for the woman. Another walker was mid street as Al just continued towards the truck. A fist struck out to collide like a freight train into a stalled vehicle on the tracks. The walker bent backwards but didn't fall over until a cowboy boot caught the chest full on.

"Come on Ma'am"[/color] Al called out to the woman wherever she was as he entered the truck and placed the kitty beside him. As calm as Al was, the cat was twice so. The truck rumbled to life beautifully as The keys in the ignition turned. The only stopping him from taking off was the woman.

[rebecca]

Watching him fight his way out reminded Rebecca of the saturday nights she'd spent watching WWE wrestling with her ex. She'd gotten used to the brutality of the reality of the walkers but watching people be so ruthless only darkened the truths. Well, there was no sense moping about things she couldn't control right? Rebecca slipped the gun into a more comfortable angle and followed suit.

Outside the street was dotted with docile walkers, their blood-stained rotting faces turned downwards in the light of the day. Rebecca eyed Allan as he smacked down the nearest one. Surely he'd done this before. Rebecca tried to imagine smacking down a zombie; she wasn't exactly ripped. The commotion of the front doors opening had alerted a few of the meandering types and a groan from the left alerted Rebecca she had a job to do.

"A chevy? Nice ride!" she called giving the shotgun a good swing in the direction of the walker. Normally she'd have shot them but calling attention in a large city was just a bad idea. Especially on the escape route.

The gun hit with a slick sound and the walker fell down, out for the count but not entirely done. Rebecca strode close to her newly found companion, wondering if she would ever get into the truck with an older man to drive off into the unknown in her former life. She'd read novels like that but most of them ended badly. Grinning to herself at the idea,

Rebecca reached the Chevy door after Allan and yanked the handle open as the truck roared to life. Part of her wondered if he really would have left her there had she been slow, the other part told her she wouldn't like the answer. Sliding onto the light seats of the truck, Rebecca slammed the door behind her and shot a smile at Allan.

"Where to now?" she arched her eyebrow, a small tingle of nerves crawling up her spine as the walkers around came to life at the sound of the engine roar.

[silbern]

The boots laid down against the pedal to get the truck moving along the street now starting to fill with more and more walkers that had nothing but a hunger in their eyes. It kinda reminded him of his hunger for ice cream and how the soft, delishly cold treat always made him happy like a little child. Al had to shake his had to concentrate as the truck bumped upwards because he most of hit a walker. He just shrugged his shoulders as the right side of the truck bumped this time which caused the kitty to grasp tightly onto their new woman companion.

Although it might have seemed like Al was ignoring her question he was trying to remember exactly where he had to go. Was it highway 87 North? he thought while resting his right hand on the steering wheel lightly ignoring the moans and cries outside. He spotted one walker as he rolled down his window and picked up speed just to swing out with his fist and catch it square in the lower jaw. The bone easily disconnected and the dangled lifelessly as a few teeth poured from the now open mouth along with streams of red ichor. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he pet the small content kitten that was trying to get it's footing in the vehicle.

"To be true Miss"[/color] Al started before reaching a comfortable speed trying to avoid most busy streets. "My goal is Agnus, Ontario Canada. If you don't want to stick with me then your free to leave at any time. My Mama taught me that any woman has a free will to do what she pleases so if it's your will I can drop you off at a safe spot"[/color] He offered her while relaxing back in his seat and spitting out the dark coloured saliva into a clear water bottle that already had a pool of the nasty looking saliva. With his free hand he poked his hat up to fit his relaxed pose while pressing play on the cassette player. His cowboy boot tapped along with the Willie Nelson playing on the speakers along with his fingers tapping on the weathered down steering wheel.

"Well if I did that then i suppose it would be tough to have a conversation, wouldn't it?"[/color] he asked no one in particular but as she was the only other one in the vehicle it was clear she would be the only one to respond if she responded at all.

[rebecca]

Just like that the truck was flying down the streets, avoiding the parked and abandoned cars alongside the road. As though they had stepped into a movie the truck seemed to be invincible to the grasps of the walkers and the slimy physique of their bodies. She caught herself laughing lightly alongside Allan as the walker got what was coming to them. Even though she knew that the person had been someone's family, someone's support, had a name, a life, memories at one point, all she could think about were the dead faces of her comrades at the station and the horror that had sunk deep inside of her. Yeah, she could afford to laugh at a little zombie carnage.

"Well I hadn't thought that far ahead really. I knew I had to leave this city, too many walkers and not enough living. I'd hate to just tag along and use up your time but Canada is sounding real good right about now," Rebecca sank back into the seat, a little less nerved about the walkers now that they were moving. The tabby cat's fur brushed up against her leg and she reached down to give the little fellah a quick brush, "why canada, if you don't mind me asking?"

She was truly curious about it, not wanting to overstep her boundaries as a guest but trying to stir up some long needed conversation. Rebecca wondered if this was just a plan of his or if he was checking up on family. A sour thought raced through her mind at the idea of family. She wondered about her mother constantly. But she knew better than to hope, it was better to build yourself down and get built back up. Nothing wrong with being realistic. Expect the worst, hope for the best, and settle for something in between, right?

"I appreciate the offer but I highly doubt anywhere is safe anymore. Besides, it's been a long time since i've seen another person, a real long time," Rebecca fished through her pack, fingers reaching around a chocolate bar, her eyes turning to her driving companion for a few seconds, "hungry?"

[silbern]

As the walker with the disconnected jaw faded from his side view mirror he still grinned his usually easy going grin. Al was never sure if it was a blessing or a curse for he was never good to feeling the emotional sides of things. He did however enjoy many little things in life with little worry as the the walker just experienced. Oh! Like how he would whistle a song he remembered when he worked on engines or hammering fence posts in to keep the cattle contained. If he would ever survive this thing and it did happen to just blow over, he wondered if he would be put to crimes of murder. Hell, he was practically a mini-genocidal in a way.

He spit again into the water bottle before attempting to answer his new partner "in crime". "Well, My Mama is the only reason I have a purpose on this blue planet. So I figured i'd get my ass up north to check in on 'er"[/color] He explained his reasoning quite thoroughly with little to no worry hinged on his voice. What would she do? Kill him and take his truck? He spat at the floor of the truck on purpose just thinking of the possibility. His blood rose a few degrees in temperature until he thought of happy things like kittens and ice cream. Presto! His grin returned and he opened his door to catch another walker who slightly dented the reinforced driver side.

Al let out another chuckle seeing the figure roll from the sudden attack. "God damn! I'm scary good at this!"[/color] Al thought of himself as he turned up the country tunes a touch. He waved his hand to deny the food but instead reached under his seat to pull out a beer. "There should be one er' two under there if ya' want"[/color] He offered to his passenger.

"What about ya'?"[/color] He asked after taking a refreshing gulp of the ale. Molson Canadian was hard to get a handle of but well worth the bite he almost received. "Anything yee need to get done?"[/color]

[rebecca]

Al's response to her question came as somewhat of a shocker. Granted she'd only known him a total of maybe ten minutes tops but she'd guessed that he was the kind of guy without any ties left just heading to wherever seemed to be the best spot.

Rebecca thought about her mother for a few seconds but the thought was eradicated by the fumbling form of the walker Al had just knocked flat on its ass. She chuckled a little, taking her hand out of the back pack and forgetting about the chocolate bar for now. If he was hungry she'd offer it later.

"Damn right, wish I could beat on half as many walkers as you have in the past five minutes. My car got grounded during the outbreak so I had to leave it behind," she concluded, "and thanks. It's been a while since i've had a good drink."

Rebecca flipped into her thoughts as Al continued to drive, the next question he asked seemed to catch her off guard more than usual. She'd thought about hunting down the few people in her life that had mattered. All her friends on the force had died. Her ex husband had been in New York but she doubted he could make it out alive, he had the ambition and the resources but part of her had just assumed he'd gone down the with ship so to speak.

Which left only her mother. She could feel the coldness dipping into her soul at the thought of finding out what had happened to her mother. Rebecca wanted to believe that she was alive, desperately, but she knew that if she went there and found out the truth it would break her resolve to live. So she'd been avoiding the visit for nearly a week now.

"Can't say i've got a list. I've just been trying to get by. New York's not the best place to be, I was planning on finding somewhere in the country but living by yourself is just plain lonely," the ex cop offered, eyes scanning outside the window like a child looking at a foreign landscape.