No Grave Stands Still (Grim and Mai)(Mature)

Saturday May 22, 2010 8:36 PM

It was another weird day. Maybe its just me, but for some reason it seems that the people in town are becoming more...violent. I saw an old woman attack a man today. She bit him, she actually bit him. And hard enough to draw blood. The cops were right there luckily and restrained her, but she put up a fight. I think she might of bit one of them too. I couldn't believe it.

But I suppose every town has its crazy people. I could be just looking to far into it. Although, I can't fight off this feeling that there is something more to it than what it seems. There was something about a sickness going around. Could be that I guess. Some fevers have been known to make people more violent. Only time will tell.

On a different note, Karen is coming over tonight. We're going to watch Dawn of the Dead after some dinner. Haven't decided where I'm making yet. I'm pretty sure she's staying here tonight, which is pretty great since we haven't spent the night together for a couple weeks since her friend got sick and she's been staying with her. Oh well, until next time.


Jack closed his notebook and stood up from his desk. He ran his fingers through his short, untidy black hair. He moved closer to a mirror in his room and adjusted his shirt for the third time in the last 20 minutes. He had been with Karen for awhile now, but she still made him a bit nervous sometimes. He had always felt she was a bit out of his league. He leaned very close to the mirror to check his teeth, the overhead light reflecting for a second off of his bright green eyes.

He leaned away again, started to walk to the kitchen, then turned back and looked at his shirt in the mirror again. He frowned and shook his head, pulling his shirt off to reveal a cut, but not extremely bulky body. He tossed the shirt towards his bathroom where a small heap of clothes lay just inside the doorway. He walked to his closet and cycled through a few shirts before pulling out a black, pin-striped one and smiling. It was a good, form fitting shirt, he had a winner. He finished getting dressed, then went to the kitchen to start on dinner.

The night was young and Miranda was ready to go out and see the concert she has been dying to take her special friend to. You could say he was like a boyfriend, but Miranda wanted no tight ties with any guy now, especially with her valley girl friend becoming her roommate. He was a very eccentric and that frightened the stuck up, simpleminded Jackie. So it would remain simple go see Opeth in the neighboring city. The idea was exciting...she could not wait. The only downside was Jackie wanted to come. One word as to why...shopping.

Miranda relaxed in the velvet cushioned chair she had picked out on her own. Her blue eyes stared up at the wood paneling on the wall. Her hair was originally a light brown, but she had dyed it darker with strips of purple and blue. Her hair was cut in a downward bob. She sighed, taking in a breath as she fumbled with her leather corset, making it more suitable to move and breath in. While awaiting John's arrival, she also waited for Jackie, a perky blonde with grey eyes. She was getting very bored. Those two always took their time.

"Come on Jackie hurry it along! John will be here any minute!"

There was a loud BANG and a muffled reply, "sHIT! One second Randy!"

She just shook her head and pushed herself off the couch, her leather, sliding down to her knees brushing against her red Dr. Marten. She was satisfied with her look.

"Mhmm..perfect..." She smiled, dark lips curling at the edges.

BANG! "Ah...sorry Randy..." a voice said hesitantly.

Miranda turned around and say her purse was knocked over...contents spilled onto the floor. She sighed. "It's fine," she mumbled. Miranda knelt down and began to pick up her stuff.

"Hey you listen to the news earlier? I mean the reports of a new disease, maddening people," Jackie said in a soft voice.

She looked up, pulling the purse over her shoulder. "Yeah...and?" She noticed how worried Jackie was and she placed a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "There hasn't been any reports of the disease located here right?"

Jackied shook her head, her blond locks bounced from her shoulder. "No."

"Then there you go...it's settled. There is nothing to fear Jackie. Now let's go outside and wait for John and Caven." She opened the front door and pulled her friend along outside to wait on the front porch.

Things were cooling down that it made both girls pulled on their jackets. Jackie with her brown fake leather jacket and Miranda with her long coat, with fake fur lining on the hood. This was the perfect day to head to the city and stay for a couple of nights. Miranda loved the country even though she was from Las Vegas, Nevada and had moved here as a teenager. A loud screeching sound of a car sound throughout the neighborhood.

"Christ! What was that?" snapped Miranda looking up at Jackie, who stepped off from the porch onto the driveway. Her friend was staring at something. Slowly Miranda gaze followed her's. A car just turned the corner and it looked like John's red jaguar. It was swerving to the side, sometimes on the road, other times riding along the sidewalk. Not even a tree seemed to stop it. It was heading right towards them.

"Jackie....Jackie! Let's get back onto the porch...on come!" She raced towards Jackie just as the car made one last hard turn heading to hit Jackie. Thinking quickly Miranda ran out and tossed herself onto Jackie into the middle of the street as the car hit her's. She covered Jackie as protection. Slowly she pushed her self up and looked down at Jackie. Good just unconscious. Slowly she looked back at the car which the front of was smashed in pretty badly, while the back of her car was badly damaged. Looking at the front part of the car she noticed something was moving around in there. Someone was still alive in there.

"It's Sunday, May 23. And this is channel 2 news. Today's top story, the spreading disease. It has now been confirmed that it is not only in the cities, but made it into back towns and countrysides. An approximate 50% of the population may be infected already. So far, the only side effects seem to be an uncontrollable madness, and in a few rare cases, death. But doctors say there should be no concern. They have created a vaccination that is available in any local doctors office. People are urged to get the vaccination as soon as possible, and then stay indoors as to keep themselves from being infected by others."

Jack picked up the remote with a sigh and changed the channel.

"Welcome to the Colbert Report. Tonight's top story....ZOMBIES! That's right, you heard me. People are rising from the grave. Why? My guess, no virgins in heav..."

Jack shook his head and clicked off his television. Karen had never come the night before. Her sick friend had apparently given her a nasty bite when she wasn't herself and now Karen was feeling under the weather.

He rose from his seat and walked to his window, looking out at few houses that were near his right on the outskirts of the small town. He wondered how many of them had gotten the disease by now. It didn't look like to serious of a disease, as long as it was just temporary. And with the vaccination, there shouldn't be much to worry about.

Deciding against the request of civilians to stay inside, Jack grabbed his coat and went out the door to town. He needed a beer from the local bar, and maybe somebody to talk to.

Miranda stared at the smashed in car. The front of it was meeting with the end of her classic vehicle. Someone or something was in there. She glanced at Jackie and slowly got up, wobbling about. Quickly though she regained her balance and struggled towards the car. She could hear a gargling sound and soft banging. Her pace slowed down.

'John? she whispered as she approached the damaged driver's side window. The window was clearer now. The sounds completely stopped. She touched the window. "John?" she said in a louder voice.

There was no response. Miranda began to fear that whoever was in there was dead. Suddenly out of no where a familiar face slammed his head against the window all bloody. She gave a surprised gasp as she realized behind all the scratches and bruises it was John. "Oh god! John..." But there was something strange his eyes were different and she noticed the bottom of his lip was gone, seemed to have been torn off. Miranda did not hesitant any longer...She went to open the door...

A soft groan, Miranda laid her head on the bar. A small little glass in her hand full of some alcoholic liquid. She slowly raised herself up, a sharp pain building in her left arm. It was deep and stinging as though still flesh. It was a surprise she still had all her senses after last night between her and Jackie. 'Blood..just soo much blood...' she whispered. She was not drunk, but shock and horror filled her mind still. She lifted the little glass to her lips and gulped up the liquid and winced. How horrid plain vodka tasted! Her face contorted into an unpleasing manner.

Again the wound on her arm pulsed with pain and she cringed. Her eyes shut as she tried to keep herself calm.

All there was, was mayhem. Miranda had to get out of there. But what about Jackie? The girl was slow in regained consciousness, but she was waking. Miranda grabbed Jackie's arm. "What are you doing Randy?" asked the disoriented Jackie.

"We have to get out of here Jackie...come on!" She shouted as unhuman sounds came from the now open door of the car's driver side. "Crap! Come on Jackie!"

"What? Why?!"

A figure that had been knocked out on the ground slowly began to get up. There was no one home. "John..." muttered Jackie as she was pulled along. She stumbled. Another person emerged from the car in more pristine condition, except his arm had been majorly chewed up. Jackie screamed at what she saw and again stumbled to the ground. She was crying as the figures came towards them making foriegn, cries.

"Randy...help me..." Jackie begged. It was too late the zombies got to Jackie and began to attack her. Miranda turned away and began to run.

She shook her head fiercely and ordered another shot. "God...it won't leave my mind. These thoughts...go away. It was just all a night mare...yeah. This sickness is nothing. The authorities will handle it...."

She grabbed the shot and drank it up quickly, then slammed it into the table. This time she did not ask for another, she just rested her head in her arms and stared at the bar.

Jack was in no hurry to get to the bar. He wasn't really depressed or anything, but something told him he needed a strong drink, and possibly enough to completely forget tonight. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at his feet, kicking a can along down the sidewalk.

In front of him he heard a grunt, followed by a groan. He looked up quickly, and what seemed to be a banged up homeless man was stumbling for him. Drunk no doubt..

"Look man, I don't have any change, I only carry a credit card these days. Sorry I can't help ya." This didn't seem to dishearten the homeless man at all. In fact, it seemed to have no effect on him in any way. He continued to stumble towards him. "Look guy, I'm carrying a gun...stay back okay?" He wasn't, he left it in his home, but usually the threat was enough to keep people away. This wasn't one of those times.

The homeless man approached closer and Jack put his fists up. The man seemed to fall out towards him, his mouth going right for his arm, but Jack pulled back, then popped the man hard in the cheek. With the momentum of already falling, he hit the ground hard. Jack shook his fist and kept walking, looking back at the motionless man on the ground. "Fucking crazies..."

After a few shaken minutes, Jack made it to the bar and sat down by a dark-haired girl at the bar, not paying her much attention, mostly because he noticed she was attractive, and did his best to ignore girls since he had one of his own. He'd never be unfaithful, but the temptation wasn't any fun.

"Give me something strong...double scotch on the rocks." He sighed and rubbed his face.

Run! Run! Run...that was all she could do now. They chased after her. She could hear them behind her. Struggling to get to her, but they were fast. She came to a fence and began to climb up. She was half way up, when something grabbed her leg, trying to pull her down. Miranda looked down and realized it was the diseased Caven. He snarled at her. "Damn!" she said, kicking at him to let go. He pulled her downwards. Her fingers slipped off, cutting into her palms. Her body slammed into the ground and she was out of breath.

"Where is..." She looked up and saw he was over her, staring at her with eyes so possessed. He went at her and she managed to slide to the side. As she got up John managed to bite into her arm. Miranda screamed in pain as he pulled back with a good size chunk of her flesh in his mouth. Blood dripped down his lip and chin. He seemed to smile. Without thinking she lifted up her purse and slammed it hard into his face. The zombie stumbled back giving her enough time to escape...for safety.

She accidentally knocked over her shot glass onto the ground. "S@#*..."she said in a strangled voice. What was she doing? Miranda knew she should have remained at the inn after the person who wrapped her wound with first aid suggested what the newscasters warned the people to do. But she had refused, saying she wanted to get out. Staying in seemed like a better idea now.

Miranda glanced to the side and noticed a black haired man sitting beside her. She noticed he was handsome, quite the looker, but it reminded her of John's face of how he was before. Until he had attacked her. She rested her head in her hands again, sighing. It just wouldn't leave her mind. Then she began to wonder if her wound reopened from all the moving. She could feel warm liquid running down her arm. Luckily her tattered jacket covered it.

"Ah...I would like a beer," she said, deciding to ignore the blood and enjoy the alcohol while she could. She glanced at the guy again, suspicious of him, but tried to ignore his presence.

Jack looked over, lifting his arm quickly as to not get any of her alcohol on himself. After she ordered a new drink, he realized she had no intention of picking up the glass. She was obviously pretty drunk already. He bent down low, picking the glass up and setting it on the bar next to his scotch.

He smirked seeing the amber liquid and lifted it to his lips, taking a large gulp. It burned all the way down, but in a good way. It was so smooth. His smirk spread to a smile and he shook his head slightly. It was the good stuff.

He glanced over at the woman who now had her hands covering her face. For a moment, he thought perhaps she was using his own ignoring technique, but figured he was just being silly. Maybe she needed a friend. "Rough night?" He took another gulp of his scotch.

Nothing made sense to her. Everything was placed into nothingness. Her world was strange and foreign earlier. She wanted it not to make sense, but unfortunately it still made sense. Her eyes shut for a moment as she tried to think clearly. Her thoughts were pretty clouded. Slowly and deliberately she looked up and gazed at the guy lazily.

"Yeah I suppose you could say that," replied Miranda bitterly. Her make up was all gone from her tears of fear and frustration from failing to save Jackie. "Too much happened...heard about the disease spreading around the town. Seems almost half of the town is infected.

She chuckled effortlessly as another beer came to her. This time she only took a small sip. "What brings you here tonight? This place to only attract the depressed and destitute..."

Forgetting she moved her left arm into her left. She felt the warm liquid travel down her arm. She looked down and saw the dripping blood on her jeans from her arm. "Shoot..." she cried, grabbing a napkin and wiping at her pants.

He took another swallow of his drink and glanced at her again, shrugging slightly. "I think my girlfriend might be one of those infected. I suppose that's a bit depressing. Course, they've got that vaccine now, so there isn't much to worry about. I don't plan on taking it though of course, never really trusted vaccines." He threw back his head and downed the rest of his drink, tapping the bar for another.

He looked over at her and immediately saw the blood on her arm and jeans. "Oh fuck! You're bleeding lady." He stood up from his stool and looked at the amount that seemed to be pouring from her arm. "I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet, especially drinking. It thins the blood. Do you mind? I'm a fire fighter, so I can help you. I've got some stuff out in my truck that will help."

Panic set in as she tried to figure out what to say. She couldn't afford letting him see the wound. Slowly Randy looked ay him as her free hand clutched her bleeding up. She shook her head but it seemed as though she was nodding off. Quickly she pulled her jacket down to make sure the bloodstained bandage which hid the badly done stitches. Her eyes narrowed as she stood up.

"No...no..I will be just fine," she said. Her focus was out of balanced. He was forced to use her hurt arm to support her. "I have to go...if you excuse me."

Randy brushed past him. She did not bother to apologize. All that was in her head was that she needed to get out. She raced to to the door. Her body slammed into it, pushing it open. As a reward the outside world blasted air on her. She looked around. "What should I do?" she asked herself.

He shook his hand towards the bartender as he returned with another drink. "You can have that one Barney, put it on my tab. I've got to go help her before she gets herself killed." He grabbed his jacket and ran towards the door after her. It didn't take him long to find her, she hadn't moved to far from outside.

"Hey. Are you crazy? You are drunk and bleeding, and half of our town if full of crazy, violent people. Please, just let me help you, I've dealt with much worse." He leaned into his truck window, grabbing a first aid kit from his front seat and moving closer to her. "You'll die out here without some help."

She looked around. Luckily there was no one out here to do her any harm. A few people that passed by stared at her. Randy was now on the ground, breathing slowly. She felt sick, but she was unsure if it was from the too much alcohol or the bite. At the moment it felt as though her head was being ravaged. She looked up and was staring at the guy from inside.

She laughed. "Maybe it would be for the best," she snapped, wincing. "Crap...this sucker is going to get infected."

Her eyes shifted towards the first aid. "I will be just fine...Just don't come near me...please..." After seeing what happened to her lover she couldn't afford having him looking at the wound. She feared she might go crazy herself. The feeling slowly began to fade just as the world went blurry on her. She swayed, finally collapsing, past out.

Jack couldn't help but laugh a little after all her denial of his help that she no longer had a choice. "Gotta love implied consent. Alright, upsy daisy." He knelt down next to her and lifted her up in both arms with a small groan. "Okay, now to get you somewhere that isn't the middle of the street to fix you up."

He carried her to his truck, lifting her a little higher so he could open his passenger door and set her inside. He snatched up his first aid kit, tossed it in the back seat, then hopped in his side and headed back towards his apartment. He'd rather get her all fixed up and laying down before she awoke. Explaining why she was in his truck on the way to his apartment would be difficult if she woke up now.

Lucky for him, nobody seemed around as he got to his complex. He carried her to the elevator lift and took it up to his floor, then carried her to his room. He fumbled around for a moment, trying to find a way to get his keys and open his door without putting her down, that finally resulted in him just leaning her against the door in frustration while he grabbed his keys with a free hand. He nearly dropped her, forgetting to pull her back close before pushing the door open, but caught her just in time.

He set her on the couch and went to grab his more advanced medical kit from his closet. Once he returned, he rested on his knees next to her and very carefully rolled up her sleeve.

It took a moment for it to really settle in what he was seeing. It was very clearly a bit mark, but not like he had ever seen. There were traces of pulling and tearing, but with what looked like a human bite. This wasn't to common a case since most human bites would be in a defense case, so ripping of the skin didn't usually occur. It also looked like some of the blood wasn't hers. He could tell this because her blood was still flowing fresh, and there appeared to be a lot of old blood around the wound as well. Now that he looked at her closer, he noted that she had a lot of old blood on her clothes, which before was mostly covered by her jacket. The wound also showed no signs of trying to clot and heal itself yet, but he felt that was probably the alcohol in her system. What intrigued him most was the color. There was a very grayish-green area, like an off color bruise around the bite. It was clearly an infection, but he had never seen one seem to spread so fast, or of that color.

But, despite all these odd signs, he had to treat it like any other bleed. He grabbed a very large bandage and a roll of gauze. He opened the bandage and applied pressure to it while beginning to wrap it in the gauze. It only took a few minutes for the blood to seep through that, but he had expected as much. He continued to put on a few bandages until finally, it seemed that there was sufficient wrap and pressure. He laid her arm back across her chest and fluffed the pillow a bit under her head.

Then he sat down in his recliner, turning on the tv. All he could do was wait now. He had a feeling it would be a very rude awakening.

Pain ….memories....blood...lots and lots of blood.

Randy groaned in her uneasy sleep. Why the surface she laid on feel so foreign. She turned onto her side and a softness on her wounded arm. A sound that sounded so far away brought her back. Her eyes fluttered open. She placed a hand on her forehead because her head was pounding. She looked up and stared at a ceiling she did not recognize. Randy's eyes widened with fright and she sat up quickly.

“Where the fuck am I!?” She said loudly.

Her eyes scanned the whole room until they fell on Jack. “You...” She frowned. “Why am I here?” Ideas formed in her head. Maybe she had been kidnapped. Or he was something worse...?

She realized she was no longer wearing her coat. Her wound had been bandaged. Suddenly she relaxed, worry overcame her.

“You wrapped the bite....so you so it?” She asked softly.

He seemed to snap out of that stage where you aren't quite sleeping, but you aren't really awake either. He jerked his head towards her and stood up quickly like he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Oh, what? Yeah...yeah I saw it. Pretty nasty cut you got there. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before." He stepped closer to get a better look at his bandaging. There was no blood seeping through it still so it must of been okay.

"I hope you don't mind me bringing you here. There wasn't really anywhere else I could take you. You would of died had I left you in the street. Plus, I didn't want to take you to the hospital, they are shooting people full of that "antidote" the second they walk through the door." He sat down on his coffee table, across from her.

"How are you feeling? Any sort of symptoms bothering you now? Lightheaded, Nausea....hungry?" He smirked on the last one. "I got cabinets full of food you can help yourself too."

Her eyes narrowed at the man who had brought her here when she had been knocked out. Randy shook her head taking a breath in and slowly releasing it. She actually felt herself relax some as the anxiety lessened. “Doesn't seem I have much choice in the fact I had been knocked out.” She looked around his place and looked back at him.

“I am alright besides the pain zooming throughout my whole body,” she said softly, relaxing her body. She slumped back against the couch. “Oh...that antidote...hmm...I wish I had taken Jackie...” Pain shot through her wounded arm and she whimpered.

“Crap...Son of a...” She bit her lower lip. “He sure did bite me hard...” She realized what she had just said. Randy looked up at him. The pain lessened and she could relax once more.

To change the subject she asked something sensible. “Sense I was brought here against my will...mind telling me your name?”

"Oh yes, how rude of me. My name is Jack. Sorry we had to meet under these conditions. I didn't mean to take you here against your will or anything either, I just figured if you were sober you'd of excepted my help. You can leave whenever you like since you're all bandaged up now."

He stood up and walked to his kitchen, still talking over his shoulder as he dug through a cabinet. "Let me see if I can find you something to help before you go...ah hah." He grabbed a little plastic bottle, then opened another cabinet where he pulled out a bottle and returned to her. He set down the bottle of liquor and the pain medication. "Normally, I wouldn't advise alcohol and pain medication, but given the situation..." He opened each bottle.

"Now these are pretty strong, you won't hurt anymore, but if you plan to leave tonight, I'd wait to take them. Otherwise, you'll have to stay here for a bit, cuz they will either make you loopy, or pass out."