Xena Kelley
As she walked into the coffee shop, the thing that another customer would most likely notice first about her, would be her clothes. There was a constant re-occurring theme of a rustic brown leather in her outfit. Her jacket was nothing but complicated, there were zips along the arms, and buttons in the collar. The leather was constantly creased due to the age of it, but she couldn’t do anything about that. There was even a second collar, this one made of wool. It was there to help keep her warm, as she was often very cold; you could tell this as her skin was ice white. The jacket was always zipped up, hiding her white t-shirt that was decorated with thin horizontal stripes. The main zip was also complicated: it was off-centred and even did a curve. But she wore this every single day without fail. It would take a miracle to see her without it. Her mother used to wear it all the time, but the young female always wanted it. When she was 14, her mother gave it to her as a gift, she told her that it had been in her family for years. This is the reason that it’s so worn and weathered. But she loves it anyways. Her shoes were also a brown leather, worn and weathered just like her jacket. And they too belonged to her mother. However, she only got them a year ago, after her mother died. Her legs were covered with flared black jeans, just to add something unique to her rustic look. Usually, she’d be seen with her hands two ways. The first way, they’d be in the deep pockets of the jeans.
However, she was most commonly saw with a stack of 2-3 books in her left hand, and a cup of coffee in her right. At the moment, she was waiting in line for her coffee, her stack of books steadily resting on her forearm and the palm of her pale hands. She was daydreaming, like usual, and her head was hung low, as it normally was, to hide her face. She was a very introverted person, a simple female who liked to keep to herself. She’d try to stay hidden as much as possible, and to help with that, was her hair. It was an ordinary brunette colour that had a lovely shine to it. It was very thick and straight. It’s length reaching to only her shoulders, but it was enough to cover her face which she thought were flaws. “Americana for Xena?” Xena was snapped back into reality, and she raised her head slightly before carefully inching forward. Her shaky arm reached out to take the coffee. Once she was 100% sure that her hands had gripped the sides of the cup, a faint sound barely escaped her thin, pink lips. “Thank you.” In the very split second that she had her head raised, you’d be able to see the facial features of the college student. Her bold, hazel eyes only radiated warmth and love, showing that she would never cause harm to anyone. However, they were protected with her large circular glasses that glistened miraculously in the light of the sun, creating an elegant rainbow tint in the glass. You could also see her multiple freckles that sporadically placed themselves around her skin, focussing on hiding her button nose. As you can see, Xena is a very simple girl, only camouflaged amongst the other simple people that lived miserably in this simple world. She didn’t have many friends, but she was fine with that.
Her main goal was to just go unnoticed, which she succeeded greatly at, and to focus on her studies, which is what she was doing now. Journeying her way to the furthest table in the most shadowed corner of the room, Xena lowered her head once more, taking a sip of her coffee. She carefully sat down, placing her books neatly in the corner of the table and resting the coffee on a coaster. Her right leg was crossed over her left, just like she usually sat. Reaching for the first book, she opened it about three quarters of the way and held it effortlessly in her left hand. And in her right, she took her coffee, sipping it every so often. As she read, her hair continued to shield her face to allow her to drift off into her own reality of books and tranquility.
DM Post
The sun seemed to slowly but steadily sink towards the earth as the night fell. It took the light and it's warmth with it, leaving nothing behind but chilly air underneath a pink sky. The pink was deep and dark, as if colored by the blood that had splattered on walls and floors that day. The moon was visible amidst it, surrounded by a few clouds that seemed to try and comfort it after the horrors it had to witness. Everything about the sight seemed to tell the people of Clarey that this was no ordinary night, and the chill felt almost like freezing even though the summer hadn't officially ended.
Streets became quiet as a lot of the survivors found their way inside of buildings. Some returned home while others tried to seek the safest location and they placed bets on any buildings that had a lot of doors they were able to lock and didn't have a lot of windows. Others even hid in public bathrooms, choosing the stall that was reserved for the disabled and turning it into their own miniature bunker. Lights were turned off indoors if they were visible beyond curtains and sounds faded in the distance. The town came to a halt, as if someone had grabbed a remote and pressed pause. Soon, little sign of the living was seen except for a few that remained outdoors. Those were either utter fools or perhaps, if they were lucky they were smart enough to know what they were doing.
While the temperature experienced a strong drop along with the hope of survivors, other things seemed to rise. One of them was panic amongst the town's people now that the first zombies had been seen, the others were the bodies of those that had fallen or fought a losing battle. Eyes that had been deemed to be closed forever were now opening with all life sucked out of them, as if someone had placed a blurry filter over their iris. Movements were wooden and slow, no energy remaining in the flesh of the ones that slowly stood up from their resting place.
Those that had been bitten that very morning went from bad to worse, their fevers reaching a point of no return as they met their own demise. After that, they too opened their eyes and slowly stood up. More would come to stand as time progressed, rising over night and resurrected as walkers. None were left dead except for those that had bullets in their brain and those who's heads had been severed. Others walked and were doomed to live a life of walking until a weapon ended their sickening afterlife. Until then, they'd only have a single goal. Food, or more specifically the flesh of the fresh and the living.
The bodies of the deceased, some with bullets draining their vessels, stood in a collective army of undead that was spreaded over town and for a moment, neither of them moved besides tilting their head upwards and staring at the sky. For a minute it seemed like that was all they would do but soon, their heads snapped back to their usual position and they started walking, albeit slowly. Each one of them wandered around, some of them finding others and joining them as they formed small hordes before they proceeded to wander aimlessly.
Where the leader of the horde would walk, others would follow and while initially, most hordes consisted of no more than 4 or 5 zombies, they soon grew in numbers until a few of them had twenty if not more. It was a terrible and fright inducing sight that made it clear that Clarey town was lost. It wasn't safe anymore and people would best remain indoors. At least they would if they were aware of it, which most weren't yet... Only one thing was clear as the first newly turned attacked the living here and there: Those that weren't aware yet would soon learn. There was no chance of escaping now.
Xena Kelley
In her mind, everything was silent. Xena rather enjoyed being left alone with her own thoughts. In fact, it rather calmed her. As she read, nothing else in the world mattered. She was able to escape the cruelties and selfishness of the sinful Earth. Often, she would read books about twisted and messed up worlds with protagonists aiming to make the world a better place. There was always a happy ending. And that is what the young bookworm dreamed of. She hoped that if she was able to become a chemist, she would be able to do good for the world. If only she was able to snap out of her little fantasy world and actually get the confidence to do something about her future. It’s an absolute mystery to her on how she was even able to get into Clarey University with her inability to speak in front of people. However, she often thought to herself that, if she read her books, and focused on her studies, she wouldn’t need to speak to people, she wouldn’t need friends. But of course, whenever she turned the final page, and read that final world, back into reality she must go. And that is exactly what had just happened. However, there was a slight twist. Xena finished up reading the last word, a small sigh escaping her lips as she closed the book and placed it back on top of her stack. Taking another sip of her coffee, she lifted her glasses up slightly and rubbed her eyes. The atmosphere was rather weird, but Xena could not place her finger on the reason why. She was rather dazed at the moment, purely due to the fact that she had been reading for the past, who knows how many hours. So as she began to stand, it was very easy to catch her off guard. But it was the scream that did it. It was an excruciating, blood-curdling scream that echoed vigorously throughout the campus, piercing through the souls of anyone within a 2 mile radius at least. This is what very quickly snapped her back into reality. And it was followed by so many more deafening cries of fear. (c)
Her first instinct was to grab her coffee, her books and run. But due to her awkward personality and clumsiness, as soon as she stood, she came tumbling down just as quickly. Her whole body crashed to the ground, and it felt like time stood still. Her cup of coffee slipped out of her hand, spilling all over the floor. Following this were her books, they dismally fell into the pool of coffee, each page ruined. And finally, came her. It was her hips that hit the floor to begin with, but the sound of them cracking sent a chill down her spine as she shrieked in pain. Her elbow reached for the chair so it could support her, but instead, she ended up pushing it away. Her head hit the floor last. However, half hit the sharp corner of a book, it’s edge cutting finely through the fragile skin on the left side of her forehead. A small amount of blood poured out, but it was enough to make her feel dizzy. And there, she laid still.
Xena didn’t know exactly how long she was lying there for. It’s seemed like hours. She tried to sit up but her head was throbbing with an unbearable sensation. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her head, so she could double check if she was still bleeding, and that she was. The first thing she noticed was her books, soaked through. Frantically, she rushed towards them, tears in her eyes. “No, no, no, please, not mother’s books.” Flicking through the pages, she hoped for one to be saved. But as she touched each one, they disintegrated before her very eyes. (c)
Her heart was broken, and her glasses began to steam up with the heat of her surrendered breath. “THANK YOU WORLD. YOU CRUEL CRUEL WORLD.” Xena was never one to yell, but she couldn’t help but feel fury towards herself and pretty much everything around her. “You stupid, stupid girl. How could you do that.” But then she realised that there was no time to mourn over books, because another scream echoed through the campus. Her face went paler than usual, and she didn’t know that was possible. Her body began to shake in fear as she scrambled behind the counter of the coffee shop. She hadn’t even realised that everyone had fled, trying to hide from something she was unsure of. Panic flooded its way through her body as she questioned her safety greatly. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to die? Xena studied chemistry, not how to save the world! Every bone in her body only tried to convince her to be the hero like she reads in her books. Go outside and see what’s going on. Grab that broomstick for self defence. Save everyone. But inside, she didn’t have a clue what anyone was running for. She didn’t know how to help. She didn’t even have the strength to do it. Quickly, she reached for her phone and dialled in Grace’s number. Grace was one of Xena’s only friends. The one person she trusted most. Hugging her knees, she placed the phone to her ear as it rang for what seemed like forever, hoping that she would pick up.
DM Post
Xena wasn't alone in the coffee shop. All around her people seemed to panic as they heard the screams coming from outside and saw some blood splattering the windows. The walkers that passed the coffee shop seemed to show no interest in whoever was in there for the time being, their focus remaining on the people that were in the streets and made easier targets. The screams continued as more people were attacked outside and gunfire could be heard here and there as well as the yelling of others that were trying to warn more survivors as they ran through the streets.
Most of the people inside seemed to back away from the windows and get towards the counter, many of them not even registering the girl that had fallen onto the floor. If they did register it then they chose to ignore it, being interested in nothing but their own survival. That's what people were like these days. They were selfish and didn't really care about others enough to stick their neck out for a stranger. In this situation, who could really blame them? Well, at least one person did.
The moment she'd witnessed the girl falling onto the floor, becoming a mess of body, coffee and books she'd bounced off of her chair and made her way over to help the poor girl out. Black hair framed a friendly face with blue eyes as she followed the one that had fallen while the girl moved to hide behind the counter. That friendly face was reserved for the girl and the girl only, as when she looked at the others in the coffee shop the warm smile on her face made way for an angry snarl and a look of utter disappointment.
"You all are a disgrace, you're cowards. Don't tell me you didn't see her fall! Now don't stand there and do nothing, you fools. Get me a first aid kid and a clean rag as well as some water!" She yelled at the bystanders, some of them remaining frozen in place while mainly students started to run around and follow her orders. Those that did seemed to know her, very well too.
The woman, who appeared to be wearing nothing but vintage clothing and had a vintage handbag hanging on her arm made her way closer to the young girl and kneeled down next to her, inspecting the injury on the girl's forehead.
"It's okay sweetie, don't be scared. My name is Talia and I'll help you, don't you worry." She spoke softly, only then noticing that the girl was attempting to call someone. She remained quiet after that to let the girl make her call while she accepted the first aid kid one of her students brought her and the clean rag and glass of water another came to her with. She only put the rag in the water before holding it up towards the girl's face, letting it linger in the air as if she was asking for approval to clean the fresh wound.
Xena Kelley
Each ring was absolute agony for Xena. Her head was throbbing and she had no clue what was going on. The rings went on for what seemed like forever, but then, she almost forgot about the phone when a friendly face looked down on her. The female suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment as she could almost feel the look of pity that she guaranteed she was getting. Yes, she was clumsy, but did people really have to notice it? She would have preferred it if she had just turned away, instead of stopping in her tracks to make fun of the bookish college student. She buried her face in her knees as she waited for the lady to leave her be, so she can escape this feeling of shame and embarrassment. But instead, she heard the female shout orders to the frantic people in the coffee shop. Now people were actually going out of there way to help the injured girl. A wave of confusion flooded her body as she raised her head slightly to her a better view of what was going on. Xena had always thought that the world was cruel and selfish. Kindness was as rare as Berkelium (this is a radioactive chemical which is in fact, really rare). The thought that someone could be so kind to anyone hadn’t even crossed her mind. But this lady named Talia had proved her wrong. She wouldn’t dare speak though, she’s just come out with utter nonsense. So she stayed quiet. Well, that was until a small voice chimed in on her phone. Xena’s eyes lit up but her voice was shaky when she spoke. “Grace! Thank goodness, it’s Xena. I’m in the coffee shop on campus. There are people screaming, and there is blood on the streets. I’m scared Grace, what’s going on?” Perhaps Grace would have been able to hear the gunshots and screams in the background, but her panting most likely made it harder to hear anything. Her head was still aching but as Talia approached her with the rag, her breathing calmed down and she nodded her head in approval, bracing herself incase it stung. Meanwhile, she awaited Grace’s answer.
DM Post
The hand that had paused mid-air only started moving again once it had gained approval. She softly made her way onto the wound that marked the girl's forehead and made sure that she didn't rub the spot. Instead, she patted it gently and did her best to clean the blood off of it.
She opened the first aid kid when the girl didn't speak and took out a desinfective gel as well as some items to cover up the wound once it was taken care of. Her fingers moved thrrough the box skillfully and just as skillfully, they took care of the wound, which only caused a minor sting as the gel would hit the sensitive area.
Due to the girl's silence, she didn't speak much either and mostly focused on the phone call, the name Grace making her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She hadn't expected that, but now that she gave the girl a closer look and noticed the books that had fallen when she fell, it suddenly made sense and added up.
"I'm truly sorry about your books," She said, her eyes softening more while she gently squeezed the girl's arm.
Xena Kelley
Xena truly didn’t mean to alarm Grace. She could instantly hear the panic in the voice of her friend, but that only made her feel guilty. Of course, she wanted to be with someone that she knew during this time of anxiousness and fear, but what if Grace was busy? Did she just disrupt something? She was always doing this, you see. Not considering things until after her actions have been made. It’s one of her worser traits. When she was about to say, ‘don’t worry, you don’t have to come,’ the phone call ended. Deep down, she hoped that she’d get here soon. Xena didn’t know anything that was going on and it was safe to say that she was terrified. There had been absolutely no explanation for the blood and the gunshots so far, but she hoped that Grace had some idea. Truthfully, she was thinking about running home, as she did live in the next town over, but hell knows what is going on outside. She probably would be dead as a doormat as soon as she stepped out of the coffee shop. Look what happened to her head, she was only attempting to stand up!
Xena placed her phone in her pocket as she shook her head to herself. “How stupid can you be.” She groaned ever so slightly in anger towards her own actions.
She tensed up slightly, a slight hissing sound creeping through her teeth as the gel was placed on her wound. She didn’t expect Talia to speak to her as no one really did, so as usual, her responses were shaky. “Um, it’s fine, don’t worry, they are um, worthless anyways.” The truth is, one of those books meant a lot to her. It’s an old, vintage book that was gifted to her many, many years ago. She reads it a million times a week and carries it with her everywhere. All she did was just sigh and smile softly, to give off the impression that she wasn’t phased by it.
DM Post
She was starting to catch onto something. If it weren't the Grace that Talia thought this girl was speaking to then she'd be surprised. If it were that Grace? Yes, in that case she was sure that the ginger girl would show up as soon as she could. Knowing that it would be a moment though, she lowered herself from the squat onto the floor and sat down in front of the girl. There, she reached over to cover up the wound before closing the first aid kit and crossing her own arms in her lap.
She frowned a little when the girl tried to lie to her and couldn't help but to shake her head. The books she had with her weren't something she'd find on most of the lists that professors urged their students to work through. No, they were the choice of someone that truly enjoyed stories. The choice of someone much like Grace, or like herself for that matter. A small tsk sound was made to show her disapproval of the dishonesty but she didn't press the matter, allowing the girl to keep her secrets. Instead, she decided to use the girl's reading to their advantage and switched up the topic, hoping to distract her with it.
"Tell me, Edgar or Heathcliff?" She asked, a playful smirk pulling on the corner of her mouth. In the far distance, she could hear more gunshots and screaming but she tried her best to ignore that.
Xena Kelley
A slightly frown grew on Xena’s face as she slowly rocked back and forth, still behind the counter. Her wound had now been attended too, but that still didn’t stop her headache that pounded her head like prisoners trying to escape jail. She winced ever so slightly when Talia reached to cover up her wound. She didn’t feel any pain, however, she was in a very jumpy mood: due to the current circumstances. The bookworm’s frown also grew bigger as she felt guilty for lying to the nice lady before her. It was clear that she could sense the dishonesty. But she didn’t want her to worry. Xena wasn’t someone that people worried over, no one fussed over her, and she rather liked it that way. Usually, she preferred to just keep quiet, stay out of the way, focus on education. Most people even thought she was invisible as she often just faded into the background. This is why she was confused on why Talia was being so nice. She definitely felt like she didn’t deserve it, and that was probably true. Although Xena was innocent and had the kindest heart, she had never done a thing to help someone as she was too afraid. Fear had gotten the better of her, most of her life. And all it has brought is guilt and regret: two things that don’t go well together.
Suddenly, her ears perked up slightly. Anything to do with books got her extremely excited, even if her teeth were chattering continuously. She actually thought that the reason for her being cold was because there were souls leaving bodies, haunting every room they could find. But that’s just her wild imagination. Most of the time, it disturbed people. No one wanted to talk with a nerd, purely because once you get them started on a topic, you can’t get them to stop. Xena hated the term ‘nerd,’ but it was something she was regarded to as a lot, due to the fact that barely anyone knew her name. Which is why she decided to keep her response to Talia’s questions rather short. Just in case she didn’t bore her. (c)
“Well obviously it’s Edgar. Who else could it possibly be? Heathcliff is just way too overrated. Besides, I just think that you can relate to Edgar more. Plus-“ She decided to awkwardly stop herself there as she felt she was rambling on. Once again, she probably was. However, no one really speaks to her about her interests, which is why she got so excited. Through her shivering and chattering teeth, Xena managed to get out some more words. “Sorry about that, I tend to ramble on sometimes.” Her gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment as she played with her thumbs. “Thank you for tending to my wound, I must seem really pathetic. I bet it wasn’t even bad enough to call it a wound.” Sighing, she rolled her eyes at herself, placing her right cheek in her right palm. Why does she keep on rambling!
DM Post
When the girl started to ramble like she'd expected her to, the smile on Talia's face widened. It seems like getting her to speak on the things she loved would help distract her until Grace could make it. A worried glance was thrown over the counter and through the window in an attempt to see the situation outside but the darkness of the sky kept the secrets of the horrors, only releasing the screams and shots into the air as some kind of sickening teaser for what was to come. After the single attempted, she turned her focus back to the girl and kept it there, hoping that if she did that the girl would follow her example.
Her mission didn't appear accomplished though, as after just 4 sentences, the girl stopped her own rambling and seemed to feel awkward about her rambling. Talia however, had counted on the girl's rambling to get the both of them through this awful situation and she gave her an encouraging smile.
"Edgar huh? That's an interesting answer. Most would've said heathcliff if they even knew and read the book. A little redhead with round glasses once told me hers was Edgar too." She said with a little chuckle as she remembered that conversation with Grace, way back when the world wasn't going to hell and which book to read in the weekend was about the extent of their worries.
As the girl thanked her and called herself pathetic, she frowned again. It pained her to see how low she thought of herself. She didn't want to scare the girl and say that she would've get her checked out at the hospital if there had been nothing going on outside, but she did shake her head slowly.
"No, I would call that a wound. It's taken care of for now though." She smiled, before turning towards another guy in the far corner of the coffee shop who seemed to be a broad shouldered teenager. If Xena were to know him, she'd know that he played on the college's football team but even if she didn't, she would be able to see that he was a tough guy.
"You see him over there? He had a splinter in his finger last year after he went swimming by the lake. He didn't dare to get it pulled out so he let it sit, convincing himself that it would grow out eventually. It did not and he ended up knocking on my door at 3 am to ask me to take it out a week later. Cried like a little baby, he did and he knows it. " She said, loud enough for him to overhear too. To that, he simply crossed his arms, shook his head in disbelief and stuck out his tongue.
"I never pinky sweared to not tell anyone!" She claimed in return to his antics and as she laughed, he too laughed before she turned her attention back to the girl.
Xena Kelley
As you could probably tell, Xena was rather self conscious of how much she spoke. In younger years of her life, she was often teased for the amount of books that she read. There were times that a teacher would walk up to her and ask her what she was reading. She’d start talking, and within two minutes, she’d be left alone, still talking, unaware that she was by herself. It wasn’t until she finished her ‘speech’ that she’d hear the excruciating laughter of her cruel classmates. It was moments like those where she felt waves of embarrassment, and she tried to never repeat her mistakes again. However, when Talia continued the conversation about Wuthering Heights, a smile creeped onto her face. This was only the second person who had ever encouraged conversation with her, and saying that she felt overjoyed was an understatement. “Well, most people would obviously choose Heathcliff as the book was practically based around him. People love to choose the most popular, because that is what they think is right. Majority wins. However, if you actually appreciate the book, and really study the morals of it, you won’t go for ‘mister basic’, you’d favour and connect with the ones who are underrated. The ones who have a deeper meaning to them.” Xena took a deep breath after she finished speaking. It’s clear to see that this was a topic she was very passionate about, and if anyone even dared to challenge her opinion, they’d soon be put in there place. Xena was the most harmless human being in any universe. There was this one time where she held a funeral for a bee that she accidentally hit whilst playing in her garden. But when it came to literature, she would never admit that she was wrong, and would go to any ends to prove that she was right. Yet, she was interested in what Talia thought. “How about you? Edgar or Heathcliff?” She smiled slightly as she waited for her justified answer.
Her eyes suddenly darted to the football player in the corner of the coffee shop. And although she didn’t recognise the male, there was no doubt that he could perhaps tackle a dragon or two. Her ears perked up as Talia spoke the tale of the man’s injury. As the short story went on, her grin grew wider and wider, until she finally ended up in tears of laughter. His reaction was absolutely priceless, and she couldn’t help but laugh at it. After her laughter calmed down, she gave a sympathetic look towards the man before turning back to Talia. “I’m sorry, but I forgot to tell you my name.” She frowned as a sign of an apology. “I’m Xena.” She smiled softly to herself, realising that her shakiness has now stopped and her voice was now clear, with no stutter at all.
DM Post
While she was fully aware that people could be really cruel, Talia was far from cruel. She was strict for sure and the students didn't always like how she pushed them to become their better selves, but overall she was appreciated and loved by them. At the very least, they respected her, which is why even in chaotic situations like the current one they followed any order they were given.
She listened closely as the girl told her about Wuthering Heights and the reasoning behind her choice of male lead, her own smile widening on her face as she could hear the passion in the girl's voice. It seemed that somehow,she had managed to unlock the girl's ability to speak freely, even if it was just for a moment and Talia enjoyed it thoroughly. The girl's face seemed to light up and her voice became more easily audible, as if she dared speak her mind without wondering as much if people were even interested.
"I wish I'd been as wise as you are when I was your age. I'm afraid that I was not." She said when the girl asked her for her own choice. A small hint of a blush spread across Talia's cheeks as they flushed in embarrassment before she spoke up. "I chose Heathcliff, over and over again. It's an absolute cliché and a stupidity as Edgar would treat her so much better. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for the bad guy." She chuckled a little at that, rolling her eyes when she thought about her ex-fiancé. "In real life that's no different, I've made a fair share of mistakes when it came to choosing a romantic partner. The next guy that I date has to be more like Edgar or it is a no for sure" She joked.
The widening grin of the girl that soon burst into tears of laughter sparked joy in Talia and she watched closely at her response to the story before turning to the man, who seemed to take note of how this younger student enjoyed the story and how it affected her mood. Once the girl turned back to Talia, he winked at her and she winked back quickly before her attention shifted back to the girl. Listening to her name, she nodded and smiled again.
"Xena... Like the warrior princess. I like that, it suits you." She decided. She sounded so sure that it would be hard to argue her on whether or not it suited the girl, as if she'd already made up her mind that this girl was a strong one.
"You study here, right? I haven't seen you around before so I take it you don't stay at the dorms?" She asked.
As she walked into the coffee shop, the thing that another customer would most likely notice first about her, would be her clothes. There was a constant re-occurring theme of a rustic brown leather in her outfit. Her jacket was nothing but complicated, there were zips along the arms, and buttons in the collar. The leather was constantly creased due to the age of it, but she couldn’t do anything about that. There was even a second collar, this one made of wool. It was there to help keep her warm, as she was often very cold; you could tell this as her skin was ice white. The jacket was always zipped up, hiding her white t-shirt that was decorated with thin horizontal stripes. The main zip was also complicated: it was off-centred and even did a curve. But she wore this every single day without fail. It would take a miracle to see her without it. Her mother used to wear it all the time, but the young female always wanted it. When she was 14, her mother gave it to her as a gift, she told her that it had been in her family for years. This is the reason that it’s so worn and weathered. But she loves it anyways. Her shoes were also a brown leather, worn and weathered just like her jacket. And they too belonged to her mother. However, she only got them a year ago, after her mother died. Her legs were covered with flared black jeans, just to add something unique to her rustic look. Usually, she’d be seen with her hands two ways. The first way, they’d be in the deep pockets of the jeans.
However, she was most commonly saw with a stack of 2-3 books in her left hand, and a cup of coffee in her right. At the moment, she was waiting in line for her coffee, her stack of books steadily resting on her forearm and the palm of her pale hands. She was daydreaming, like usual, and her head was hung low, as it normally was, to hide her face. She was a very introverted person, a simple female who liked to keep to herself. She’d try to stay hidden as much as possible, and to help with that, was her hair. It was an ordinary brunette colour that had a lovely shine to it. It was very thick and straight. It’s length reaching to only her shoulders, but it was enough to cover her face which she thought were flaws. “Americana for Xena?” Xena was snapped back into reality, and she raised her head slightly before carefully inching forward. Her shaky arm reached out to take the coffee. Once she was 100% sure that her hands had gripped the sides of the cup, a faint sound barely escaped her thin, pink lips. “Thank you.” In the very split second that she had her head raised, you’d be able to see the facial features of the college student. Her bold, hazel eyes only radiated warmth and love, showing that she would never cause harm to anyone. However, they were protected with her large circular glasses that glistened miraculously in the light of the sun, creating an elegant rainbow tint in the glass. You could also see her multiple freckles that sporadically placed themselves around her skin, focussing on hiding her button nose. As you can see, Xena is a very simple girl, only camouflaged amongst the other simple people that lived miserably in this simple world. She didn’t have many friends, but she was fine with that.
Her main goal was to just go unnoticed, which she succeeded greatly at, and to focus on her studies, which is what she was doing now. Journeying her way to the furthest table in the most shadowed corner of the room, Xena lowered her head once more, taking a sip of her coffee. She carefully sat down, placing her books neatly in the corner of the table and resting the coffee on a coaster. Her right leg was crossed over her left, just like she usually sat. Reaching for the first book, she opened it about three quarters of the way and held it effortlessly in her left hand. And in her right, she took her coffee, sipping it every so often. As she read, her hair continued to shield her face to allow her to drift off into her own reality of books and tranquility.
DM Post
The sun seemed to slowly but steadily sink towards the earth as the night fell. It took the light and it's warmth with it, leaving nothing behind but chilly air underneath a pink sky. The pink was deep and dark, as if colored by the blood that had splattered on walls and floors that day. The moon was visible amidst it, surrounded by a few clouds that seemed to try and comfort it after the horrors it had to witness. Everything about the sight seemed to tell the people of Clarey that this was no ordinary night, and the chill felt almost like freezing even though the summer hadn't officially ended.
Streets became quiet as a lot of the survivors found their way inside of buildings. Some returned home while others tried to seek the safest location and they placed bets on any buildings that had a lot of doors they were able to lock and didn't have a lot of windows. Others even hid in public bathrooms, choosing the stall that was reserved for the disabled and turning it into their own miniature bunker. Lights were turned off indoors if they were visible beyond curtains and sounds faded in the distance. The town came to a halt, as if someone had grabbed a remote and pressed pause. Soon, little sign of the living was seen except for a few that remained outdoors. Those were either utter fools or perhaps, if they were lucky they were smart enough to know what they were doing.
While the temperature experienced a strong drop along with the hope of survivors, other things seemed to rise. One of them was panic amongst the town's people now that the first zombies had been seen, the others were the bodies of those that had fallen or fought a losing battle. Eyes that had been deemed to be closed forever were now opening with all life sucked out of them, as if someone had placed a blurry filter over their iris. Movements were wooden and slow, no energy remaining in the flesh of the ones that slowly stood up from their resting place.
Those that had been bitten that very morning went from bad to worse, their fevers reaching a point of no return as they met their own demise. After that, they too opened their eyes and slowly stood up. More would come to stand as time progressed, rising over night and resurrected as walkers. None were left dead except for those that had bullets in their brain and those who's heads had been severed. Others walked and were doomed to live a life of walking until a weapon ended their sickening afterlife. Until then, they'd only have a single goal. Food, or more specifically the flesh of the fresh and the living.
The bodies of the deceased, some with bullets draining their vessels, stood in a collective army of undead that was spreaded over town and for a moment, neither of them moved besides tilting their head upwards and staring at the sky. For a minute it seemed like that was all they would do but soon, their heads snapped back to their usual position and they started walking, albeit slowly. Each one of them wandered around, some of them finding others and joining them as they formed small hordes before they proceeded to wander aimlessly.
Where the leader of the horde would walk, others would follow and while initially, most hordes consisted of no more than 4 or 5 zombies, they soon grew in numbers until a few of them had twenty if not more. It was a terrible and fright inducing sight that made it clear that Clarey town was lost. It wasn't safe anymore and people would best remain indoors. At least they would if they were aware of it, which most weren't yet... Only one thing was clear as the first newly turned attacked the living here and there: Those that weren't aware yet would soon learn. There was no chance of escaping now.
Xena Kelley
In her mind, everything was silent. Xena rather enjoyed being left alone with her own thoughts. In fact, it rather calmed her. As she read, nothing else in the world mattered. She was able to escape the cruelties and selfishness of the sinful Earth. Often, she would read books about twisted and messed up worlds with protagonists aiming to make the world a better place. There was always a happy ending. And that is what the young bookworm dreamed of. She hoped that if she was able to become a chemist, she would be able to do good for the world. If only she was able to snap out of her little fantasy world and actually get the confidence to do something about her future. It’s an absolute mystery to her on how she was even able to get into Clarey University with her inability to speak in front of people. However, she often thought to herself that, if she read her books, and focused on her studies, she wouldn’t need to speak to people, she wouldn’t need friends. But of course, whenever she turned the final page, and read that final world, back into reality she must go. And that is exactly what had just happened. However, there was a slight twist. Xena finished up reading the last word, a small sigh escaping her lips as she closed the book and placed it back on top of her stack. Taking another sip of her coffee, she lifted her glasses up slightly and rubbed her eyes. The atmosphere was rather weird, but Xena could not place her finger on the reason why. She was rather dazed at the moment, purely due to the fact that she had been reading for the past, who knows how many hours. So as she began to stand, it was very easy to catch her off guard. But it was the scream that did it. It was an excruciating, blood-curdling scream that echoed vigorously throughout the campus, piercing through the souls of anyone within a 2 mile radius at least. This is what very quickly snapped her back into reality. And it was followed by so many more deafening cries of fear. (c)
Her first instinct was to grab her coffee, her books and run. But due to her awkward personality and clumsiness, as soon as she stood, she came tumbling down just as quickly. Her whole body crashed to the ground, and it felt like time stood still. Her cup of coffee slipped out of her hand, spilling all over the floor. Following this were her books, they dismally fell into the pool of coffee, each page ruined. And finally, came her. It was her hips that hit the floor to begin with, but the sound of them cracking sent a chill down her spine as she shrieked in pain. Her elbow reached for the chair so it could support her, but instead, she ended up pushing it away. Her head hit the floor last. However, half hit the sharp corner of a book, it’s edge cutting finely through the fragile skin on the left side of her forehead. A small amount of blood poured out, but it was enough to make her feel dizzy. And there, she laid still.
Xena didn’t know exactly how long she was lying there for. It’s seemed like hours. She tried to sit up but her head was throbbing with an unbearable sensation. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her head, so she could double check if she was still bleeding, and that she was. The first thing she noticed was her books, soaked through. Frantically, she rushed towards them, tears in her eyes. “No, no, no, please, not mother’s books.” Flicking through the pages, she hoped for one to be saved. But as she touched each one, they disintegrated before her very eyes. (c)
Her heart was broken, and her glasses began to steam up with the heat of her surrendered breath. “THANK YOU WORLD. YOU CRUEL CRUEL WORLD.” Xena was never one to yell, but she couldn’t help but feel fury towards herself and pretty much everything around her. “You stupid, stupid girl. How could you do that.” But then she realised that there was no time to mourn over books, because another scream echoed through the campus. Her face went paler than usual, and she didn’t know that was possible. Her body began to shake in fear as she scrambled behind the counter of the coffee shop. She hadn’t even realised that everyone had fled, trying to hide from something she was unsure of. Panic flooded its way through her body as she questioned her safety greatly. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to die? Xena studied chemistry, not how to save the world! Every bone in her body only tried to convince her to be the hero like she reads in her books. Go outside and see what’s going on. Grab that broomstick for self defence. Save everyone. But inside, she didn’t have a clue what anyone was running for. She didn’t know how to help. She didn’t even have the strength to do it. Quickly, she reached for her phone and dialled in Grace’s number. Grace was one of Xena’s only friends. The one person she trusted most. Hugging her knees, she placed the phone to her ear as it rang for what seemed like forever, hoping that she would pick up.
DM Post
Xena wasn't alone in the coffee shop. All around her people seemed to panic as they heard the screams coming from outside and saw some blood splattering the windows. The walkers that passed the coffee shop seemed to show no interest in whoever was in there for the time being, their focus remaining on the people that were in the streets and made easier targets. The screams continued as more people were attacked outside and gunfire could be heard here and there as well as the yelling of others that were trying to warn more survivors as they ran through the streets.
Most of the people inside seemed to back away from the windows and get towards the counter, many of them not even registering the girl that had fallen onto the floor. If they did register it then they chose to ignore it, being interested in nothing but their own survival. That's what people were like these days. They were selfish and didn't really care about others enough to stick their neck out for a stranger. In this situation, who could really blame them? Well, at least one person did.
The moment she'd witnessed the girl falling onto the floor, becoming a mess of body, coffee and books she'd bounced off of her chair and made her way over to help the poor girl out. Black hair framed a friendly face with blue eyes as she followed the one that had fallen while the girl moved to hide behind the counter. That friendly face was reserved for the girl and the girl only, as when she looked at the others in the coffee shop the warm smile on her face made way for an angry snarl and a look of utter disappointment.
"You all are a disgrace, you're cowards. Don't tell me you didn't see her fall! Now don't stand there and do nothing, you fools. Get me a first aid kid and a clean rag as well as some water!" She yelled at the bystanders, some of them remaining frozen in place while mainly students started to run around and follow her orders. Those that did seemed to know her, very well too.
The woman, who appeared to be wearing nothing but vintage clothing and had a vintage handbag hanging on her arm made her way closer to the young girl and kneeled down next to her, inspecting the injury on the girl's forehead.
"It's okay sweetie, don't be scared. My name is Talia and I'll help you, don't you worry." She spoke softly, only then noticing that the girl was attempting to call someone. She remained quiet after that to let the girl make her call while she accepted the first aid kid one of her students brought her and the clean rag and glass of water another came to her with. She only put the rag in the water before holding it up towards the girl's face, letting it linger in the air as if she was asking for approval to clean the fresh wound.
Xena Kelley
Each ring was absolute agony for Xena. Her head was throbbing and she had no clue what was going on. The rings went on for what seemed like forever, but then, she almost forgot about the phone when a friendly face looked down on her. The female suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment as she could almost feel the look of pity that she guaranteed she was getting. Yes, she was clumsy, but did people really have to notice it? She would have preferred it if she had just turned away, instead of stopping in her tracks to make fun of the bookish college student. She buried her face in her knees as she waited for the lady to leave her be, so she can escape this feeling of shame and embarrassment. But instead, she heard the female shout orders to the frantic people in the coffee shop. Now people were actually going out of there way to help the injured girl. A wave of confusion flooded her body as she raised her head slightly to her a better view of what was going on. Xena had always thought that the world was cruel and selfish. Kindness was as rare as Berkelium (this is a radioactive chemical which is in fact, really rare). The thought that someone could be so kind to anyone hadn’t even crossed her mind. But this lady named Talia had proved her wrong. She wouldn’t dare speak though, she’s just come out with utter nonsense. So she stayed quiet. Well, that was until a small voice chimed in on her phone. Xena’s eyes lit up but her voice was shaky when she spoke. “Grace! Thank goodness, it’s Xena. I’m in the coffee shop on campus. There are people screaming, and there is blood on the streets. I’m scared Grace, what’s going on?” Perhaps Grace would have been able to hear the gunshots and screams in the background, but her panting most likely made it harder to hear anything. Her head was still aching but as Talia approached her with the rag, her breathing calmed down and she nodded her head in approval, bracing herself incase it stung. Meanwhile, she awaited Grace’s answer.
DM Post
The hand that had paused mid-air only started moving again once it had gained approval. She softly made her way onto the wound that marked the girl's forehead and made sure that she didn't rub the spot. Instead, she patted it gently and did her best to clean the blood off of it.
She opened the first aid kid when the girl didn't speak and took out a desinfective gel as well as some items to cover up the wound once it was taken care of. Her fingers moved thrrough the box skillfully and just as skillfully, they took care of the wound, which only caused a minor sting as the gel would hit the sensitive area.
Due to the girl's silence, she didn't speak much either and mostly focused on the phone call, the name Grace making her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She hadn't expected that, but now that she gave the girl a closer look and noticed the books that had fallen when she fell, it suddenly made sense and added up.
"I'm truly sorry about your books," She said, her eyes softening more while she gently squeezed the girl's arm.
Xena Kelley
Xena truly didn’t mean to alarm Grace. She could instantly hear the panic in the voice of her friend, but that only made her feel guilty. Of course, she wanted to be with someone that she knew during this time of anxiousness and fear, but what if Grace was busy? Did she just disrupt something? She was always doing this, you see. Not considering things until after her actions have been made. It’s one of her worser traits. When she was about to say, ‘don’t worry, you don’t have to come,’ the phone call ended. Deep down, she hoped that she’d get here soon. Xena didn’t know anything that was going on and it was safe to say that she was terrified. There had been absolutely no explanation for the blood and the gunshots so far, but she hoped that Grace had some idea. Truthfully, she was thinking about running home, as she did live in the next town over, but hell knows what is going on outside. She probably would be dead as a doormat as soon as she stepped out of the coffee shop. Look what happened to her head, she was only attempting to stand up!
Xena placed her phone in her pocket as she shook her head to herself. “How stupid can you be.” She groaned ever so slightly in anger towards her own actions.
She tensed up slightly, a slight hissing sound creeping through her teeth as the gel was placed on her wound. She didn’t expect Talia to speak to her as no one really did, so as usual, her responses were shaky. “Um, it’s fine, don’t worry, they are um, worthless anyways.” The truth is, one of those books meant a lot to her. It’s an old, vintage book that was gifted to her many, many years ago. She reads it a million times a week and carries it with her everywhere. All she did was just sigh and smile softly, to give off the impression that she wasn’t phased by it.
DM Post
She was starting to catch onto something. If it weren't the Grace that Talia thought this girl was speaking to then she'd be surprised. If it were that Grace? Yes, in that case she was sure that the ginger girl would show up as soon as she could. Knowing that it would be a moment though, she lowered herself from the squat onto the floor and sat down in front of the girl. There, she reached over to cover up the wound before closing the first aid kit and crossing her own arms in her lap.
She frowned a little when the girl tried to lie to her and couldn't help but to shake her head. The books she had with her weren't something she'd find on most of the lists that professors urged their students to work through. No, they were the choice of someone that truly enjoyed stories. The choice of someone much like Grace, or like herself for that matter. A small tsk sound was made to show her disapproval of the dishonesty but she didn't press the matter, allowing the girl to keep her secrets. Instead, she decided to use the girl's reading to their advantage and switched up the topic, hoping to distract her with it.
"Tell me, Edgar or Heathcliff?" She asked, a playful smirk pulling on the corner of her mouth. In the far distance, she could hear more gunshots and screaming but she tried her best to ignore that.
Xena Kelley
A slightly frown grew on Xena’s face as she slowly rocked back and forth, still behind the counter. Her wound had now been attended too, but that still didn’t stop her headache that pounded her head like prisoners trying to escape jail. She winced ever so slightly when Talia reached to cover up her wound. She didn’t feel any pain, however, she was in a very jumpy mood: due to the current circumstances. The bookworm’s frown also grew bigger as she felt guilty for lying to the nice lady before her. It was clear that she could sense the dishonesty. But she didn’t want her to worry. Xena wasn’t someone that people worried over, no one fussed over her, and she rather liked it that way. Usually, she preferred to just keep quiet, stay out of the way, focus on education. Most people even thought she was invisible as she often just faded into the background. This is why she was confused on why Talia was being so nice. She definitely felt like she didn’t deserve it, and that was probably true. Although Xena was innocent and had the kindest heart, she had never done a thing to help someone as she was too afraid. Fear had gotten the better of her, most of her life. And all it has brought is guilt and regret: two things that don’t go well together.
Suddenly, her ears perked up slightly. Anything to do with books got her extremely excited, even if her teeth were chattering continuously. She actually thought that the reason for her being cold was because there were souls leaving bodies, haunting every room they could find. But that’s just her wild imagination. Most of the time, it disturbed people. No one wanted to talk with a nerd, purely because once you get them started on a topic, you can’t get them to stop. Xena hated the term ‘nerd,’ but it was something she was regarded to as a lot, due to the fact that barely anyone knew her name. Which is why she decided to keep her response to Talia’s questions rather short. Just in case she didn’t bore her. (c)
“Well obviously it’s Edgar. Who else could it possibly be? Heathcliff is just way too overrated. Besides, I just think that you can relate to Edgar more. Plus-“ She decided to awkwardly stop herself there as she felt she was rambling on. Once again, she probably was. However, no one really speaks to her about her interests, which is why she got so excited. Through her shivering and chattering teeth, Xena managed to get out some more words. “Sorry about that, I tend to ramble on sometimes.” Her gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment as she played with her thumbs. “Thank you for tending to my wound, I must seem really pathetic. I bet it wasn’t even bad enough to call it a wound.” Sighing, she rolled her eyes at herself, placing her right cheek in her right palm. Why does she keep on rambling!
DM Post
When the girl started to ramble like she'd expected her to, the smile on Talia's face widened. It seems like getting her to speak on the things she loved would help distract her until Grace could make it. A worried glance was thrown over the counter and through the window in an attempt to see the situation outside but the darkness of the sky kept the secrets of the horrors, only releasing the screams and shots into the air as some kind of sickening teaser for what was to come. After the single attempted, she turned her focus back to the girl and kept it there, hoping that if she did that the girl would follow her example.
Her mission didn't appear accomplished though, as after just 4 sentences, the girl stopped her own rambling and seemed to feel awkward about her rambling. Talia however, had counted on the girl's rambling to get the both of them through this awful situation and she gave her an encouraging smile.
"Edgar huh? That's an interesting answer. Most would've said heathcliff if they even knew and read the book. A little redhead with round glasses once told me hers was Edgar too." She said with a little chuckle as she remembered that conversation with Grace, way back when the world wasn't going to hell and which book to read in the weekend was about the extent of their worries.
As the girl thanked her and called herself pathetic, she frowned again. It pained her to see how low she thought of herself. She didn't want to scare the girl and say that she would've get her checked out at the hospital if there had been nothing going on outside, but she did shake her head slowly.
"No, I would call that a wound. It's taken care of for now though." She smiled, before turning towards another guy in the far corner of the coffee shop who seemed to be a broad shouldered teenager. If Xena were to know him, she'd know that he played on the college's football team but even if she didn't, she would be able to see that he was a tough guy.
"You see him over there? He had a splinter in his finger last year after he went swimming by the lake. He didn't dare to get it pulled out so he let it sit, convincing himself that it would grow out eventually. It did not and he ended up knocking on my door at 3 am to ask me to take it out a week later. Cried like a little baby, he did and he knows it. " She said, loud enough for him to overhear too. To that, he simply crossed his arms, shook his head in disbelief and stuck out his tongue.
"I never pinky sweared to not tell anyone!" She claimed in return to his antics and as she laughed, he too laughed before she turned her attention back to the girl.
Xena Kelley
As you could probably tell, Xena was rather self conscious of how much she spoke. In younger years of her life, she was often teased for the amount of books that she read. There were times that a teacher would walk up to her and ask her what she was reading. She’d start talking, and within two minutes, she’d be left alone, still talking, unaware that she was by herself. It wasn’t until she finished her ‘speech’ that she’d hear the excruciating laughter of her cruel classmates. It was moments like those where she felt waves of embarrassment, and she tried to never repeat her mistakes again. However, when Talia continued the conversation about Wuthering Heights, a smile creeped onto her face. This was only the second person who had ever encouraged conversation with her, and saying that she felt overjoyed was an understatement. “Well, most people would obviously choose Heathcliff as the book was practically based around him. People love to choose the most popular, because that is what they think is right. Majority wins. However, if you actually appreciate the book, and really study the morals of it, you won’t go for ‘mister basic’, you’d favour and connect with the ones who are underrated. The ones who have a deeper meaning to them.” Xena took a deep breath after she finished speaking. It’s clear to see that this was a topic she was very passionate about, and if anyone even dared to challenge her opinion, they’d soon be put in there place. Xena was the most harmless human being in any universe. There was this one time where she held a funeral for a bee that she accidentally hit whilst playing in her garden. But when it came to literature, she would never admit that she was wrong, and would go to any ends to prove that she was right. Yet, she was interested in what Talia thought. “How about you? Edgar or Heathcliff?” She smiled slightly as she waited for her justified answer.
Her eyes suddenly darted to the football player in the corner of the coffee shop. And although she didn’t recognise the male, there was no doubt that he could perhaps tackle a dragon or two. Her ears perked up as Talia spoke the tale of the man’s injury. As the short story went on, her grin grew wider and wider, until she finally ended up in tears of laughter. His reaction was absolutely priceless, and she couldn’t help but laugh at it. After her laughter calmed down, she gave a sympathetic look towards the man before turning back to Talia. “I’m sorry, but I forgot to tell you my name.” She frowned as a sign of an apology. “I’m Xena.” She smiled softly to herself, realising that her shakiness has now stopped and her voice was now clear, with no stutter at all.
DM Post
While she was fully aware that people could be really cruel, Talia was far from cruel. She was strict for sure and the students didn't always like how she pushed them to become their better selves, but overall she was appreciated and loved by them. At the very least, they respected her, which is why even in chaotic situations like the current one they followed any order they were given.
She listened closely as the girl told her about Wuthering Heights and the reasoning behind her choice of male lead, her own smile widening on her face as she could hear the passion in the girl's voice. It seemed that somehow,she had managed to unlock the girl's ability to speak freely, even if it was just for a moment and Talia enjoyed it thoroughly. The girl's face seemed to light up and her voice became more easily audible, as if she dared speak her mind without wondering as much if people were even interested.
"I wish I'd been as wise as you are when I was your age. I'm afraid that I was not." She said when the girl asked her for her own choice. A small hint of a blush spread across Talia's cheeks as they flushed in embarrassment before she spoke up. "I chose Heathcliff, over and over again. It's an absolute cliché and a stupidity as Edgar would treat her so much better. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for the bad guy." She chuckled a little at that, rolling her eyes when she thought about her ex-fiancé. "In real life that's no different, I've made a fair share of mistakes when it came to choosing a romantic partner. The next guy that I date has to be more like Edgar or it is a no for sure" She joked.
The widening grin of the girl that soon burst into tears of laughter sparked joy in Talia and she watched closely at her response to the story before turning to the man, who seemed to take note of how this younger student enjoyed the story and how it affected her mood. Once the girl turned back to Talia, he winked at her and she winked back quickly before her attention shifted back to the girl. Listening to her name, she nodded and smiled again.
"Xena... Like the warrior princess. I like that, it suits you." She decided. She sounded so sure that it would be hard to argue her on whether or not it suited the girl, as if she'd already made up her mind that this girl was a strong one.
"You study here, right? I haven't seen you around before so I take it you don't stay at the dorms?" She asked.
DM Post
Talia had recieved Grace's message and as she looked through the window, she felt that that was a good thing. She'd be the one to bring Xena to the dorms, and given that she was much older than either of them it seemed only right. That didn't mean she wasn't nervous, but she hid those nerves behind a wide smile as she stood up and extended her hand towards Xena.
"Come dear, I was told to take you to Grace so I will. You'll be safe there and I know the way." She said to her, preparing to make her way out of the coffee shop. She looked at the counter and the kitchen before picking up a kitchen knife to be sure and heading out of the shop, with Xena even if it were to take her some convincing to get the girl to come along.
If she struggled with balance due to the head wound, she'd make sure to support her on the way to the car and once they made it to her car, she'd let Xena enter and sit on the passenger's seat before walking around to get into the driver's seat.
Most of the zombies appeared to be rather far away from the coffee shop even though she could seee some iin the distance and she felt rather lucky that she had exchanged her old range rover for a prius months before. Starting her car, she'd slowly drive towards the dorms and park next to them, making sure to not alert any zombies.
Talia had recieved Grace's message and as she looked through the window, she felt that that was a good thing. She'd be the one to bring Xena to the dorms, and given that she was much older than either of them it seemed only right. That didn't mean she wasn't nervous, but she hid those nerves behind a wide smile as she stood up and extended her hand towards Xena.
"Come dear, I was told to take you to Grace so I will. You'll be safe there and I know the way." She said to her, preparing to make her way out of the coffee shop. She looked at the counter and the kitchen before picking up a kitchen knife to be sure and heading out of the shop, with Xena even if it were to take her some convincing to get the girl to come along.
If she struggled with balance due to the head wound, she'd make sure to support her on the way to the car and once they made it to her car, she'd let Xena enter and sit on the passenger's seat before walking around to get into the driver's seat.
Most of the zombies appeared to be rather far away from the coffee shop even though she could seee some iin the distance and she felt rather lucky that she had exchanged her old range rover for a prius months before. Starting her car, she'd slowly drive towards the dorms and park next to them, making sure to not alert any zombies.
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