Nightshift 42: North Street

[rocksthecourt]

[from here]

Being stuck in a small room with those monstrosities didn't seem the safest option. Being outside, with more space to see and move sounded far better. But when Klavier actually got outside, he suddenly thought maybe the small room didn't seem so bad.

THEY. WERE. EVERYWHERE. Crowded worse than LA during rush hour on even the worst of days. Rushing and moving like a writhing, anguished mass. So many. Where had they come from?! Stupid question. What were they?! Monsters, people... How could this-- AHHH!!!

He was frozen in place for a few moments before he realized staying in one spot wasn't the best idea. He frantically looked around. He needed to find somewhere safe! He needed to get out of here. Where was safe?! Somewhere high? Were all of the buildings infested? Maybe he could lock himself in somewhere and--

WAIT!! NO! What was he thinking?! What about everyone else? He couldn't just barricade himself somewhere safe and sit around while everyone else was ripped apart. And... KRISTOPH! Where was he?! Had he been swarmed, too?! He had to have been. But in this mess, he didn't even know where to begin looking for him. Or how long he would last searching. Maybe he would have to trust that his brother would find a safe place... No. He couldn't spend the entire night not even sure if he was safe or not. What if he needed help?

....Holy-- It looked like HE needed help!! "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Again he swung the lamp anytime any got too close, moving with his back toward the walls. Where to go?! Where to go?!

Comments

[on the far eastern end of the street]

[otnemememento.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/686083.html?thread=56004611#t56004611).]

This street was busier than the last- from the intersection, Leonard could see activity down one side of the street. Must be something going on down there. Whether it's a good or bad sign is the question.

The other side of the street was much darker and foggier. Maybe there aren't any monsters down there. Or maybe there are, and there are no survivors to stir the activity.

"You wouldn't happen to have a flashlight or a lighter on you, would you?" Leonard asked, deciding that wandering into the unknown wasn't the wisest idea.

[gald_digger]

A lighter? Anise wasn't completely sure what that was, but she could guess well enough from the name. And all the flashlights were back at the institute, so...

She shook her head. "The closest I've got is that arte I used earlier, but that only lasts a second." And she still hadn't fully recovered after using it before. Too many artes, and she'd have to get Leonard to carry her the rest of the way. She needed to try to conserve her strength.

It wasn't like Anise wanted to march straight into the darkness either, though. "What about that... Pola-whatsit you've got?" she asked, looking at his camera. Anise had no idea how it worked, but she remembered it made a flash of light before.

[otnemememento.livejournal.com]

"Polaroid," Leonard finished, filtering most of what she'd said through his brain. "It only flashes for a moment- not long enough for us to see anything, but with enough power to attract whatever may be out there to come toward us. Not sure it'd be best to use- I was hoping for something with more of a stable light."

He looked over his shoulder down the other way, back toward the chaos. "Maybe we can find something to light our way. A flashlight or a something we can light on fire and use as a torch. Anything to give us a clearer path of the road."

[gald_digger]

"You mean... go back?" Anise wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, especially with them being so close to the edge of town already. They only had so much time! And a detour that big would probably help tire them out more...

She groaned. "Well... if it's the only way." It wasn't like they were going to find a flashlight or a source of fire outside of town, if the empty scenery on the ride there was any indication. And they probably would be sitting ducks without any way of knowing what was ahead.

It wasn't like Anise hadn't had bigger detours before, right? If she could walk halfway through Malkuth while taking monster-infested paths, then this was nothing! Only that time, she had Tokunaga, and this time, she had... some guy with a spatula. Who probably wasn't going to give her a piggyback ride.

[otnemememento.livejournal.com]

"We'll make it quick, hopefully," Leonard assured, not wanting to stand on a street crowded with Romero rejects any longer than they had to. They were starting to take notice of the pair- Lenny could see them moving through the fog, and hearing them was no problem.

Still, the closest store is pretty far down the street- he continued in his mind. I can't even see it from here. No telling how many of these things are on the road from here to there. Not sure I want to know.

"What would you have us do, if not look for something to light our way?" he asked, stalling for more time to think.

[gald_digger]

"We... push on through and hope the outside doesn't have as many monsters?" Anise offered uselessly. She hated to admit it had been her original plan, as just saying it aloud made it sound like suicide. Inside the town, they had tools and places to hide. Outside, they would have to make do with whatever they had until they got to the next town... which could take a day or more of walking. And that was assuming they went in the right direction.

She sighed at the realization that it might be a long time until either of them could rest easy. "No matter which way we go, we'll have to get past more of those creepy things."