[Wait until they leave and then crawl to the camp to eat the scraps.]
Safety comes first. I dont think there are many people left who would help Vincent during this stage of the apocalypse and the chance that the four he sees here are good people is a lot lower than the chance that they are bad people.
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 5)
Vincent walked up the slope. The chilly morning breeze bit him through his thick jacket and the dew-c… moreovered grass soaked his heavy boots. He paused at the crest of the hill, let his shoulders slump, and surveyed the rolling vista.
Grass stretched across the horizon for miles before ending at the base of mountains, interrupted only by trees, and a neglected road that divided it.
The weight on his body and his mind all seemed to culminate in that moment. He dropped his possessions and collapsed to the ground, to the dirt, physically and mentally exhausted. Time passed. He wondered about things incoherently—about the boy he’d lost, the men that laid dead in his wake, the distance of Jack’s grave. He wondered why he didn’t kill himself ten miles back.
Time passed. Vincent felt the unrelenting pain of hunger and the lack of strength to do anything about it. As he laid in the grass and the dirt, he wo… [view original content]
(!) Vincent will wait until the people leave before crawling to the camp to eat their scraps
Alrighty, the new part should be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Alrighty, the new part should be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
Laredo, certainly. Despite everything I have tried to calm down, my paranoia level is still slowly on the rise and that is not a good thing. On the one hand, I am incredibly and unbearably nervous, on the other hand, I just have to know what happens. Is Josie alive or dead? Who is the Raft guy? Is he a danger, either immediate or long-term? Am I right with wanting to shoot Freddie Gomez and Natalie, as a preventative measure? I'm probably needing a really strong drink when reading the next part, regardless of wether or not anything happens that justifies it
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Oh, I really, really need to read the whole series. So far, I have only read The Bounds of Reason, which is also included in the Sword of Destiny collection if I'm not mistaken. I absolutely love the games, especially the third, so I'm definitely a bit behind when it comes to the novels
Voting is closed!
(!) Vincent will wait until the people leave before crawling to the camp to eat their scraps
Alrighty, the new part … moreshould be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Voting is closed!
(!) Vincent will wait until the people leave before crawling to the camp to eat their scraps
Alrighty, the new part … moreshould be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Laredo, certainly. Despite everything I have tried to calm down, my paranoia level is still slowly on the rise and that is not a good thing. On the one hand, I am incredibly and unbearably nervous, on the other hand, I just have to know what happens. Is Josie alive or dead? Who is the Raft guy? Is he a danger, either immediate or long-term? Am I right with wanting to shoot Freddie Gomez and Natalie, as a preventative measure? I'm probably needing a really strong drink when reading the next part, regardless of wether or not anything happens that justifies it
Perfectly understandable. You should keep in mind, though, that jumping to conclusions can also have negative consequences.
Oh, I really, really need to read the whole series. So far, I have only read The Bounds of Reason, which is also included in the Sword of Destiny collection if I'm not mistaken. I absolutely love the games, especially the third, so I'm definitely a bit behind when it comes to the novels
Yes, the Bounds of Reason is the first story in the Sword of Destiny collection. I've actually only read the two collections so far (The Last Wish and now Sword of Destiny, respectively), so I haven't even begun the saga. And funny enough, I decided to read the novels before playing through the games to hopefully see a fuller picture when I get around to them
Alrighty, the new part should be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation… more of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
Laredo, certainly. Despite everything I have tried to calm down, my paranoia level is still slowly on the rise and that is not a good thing. On the one hand, I am incredibly and unbearably nervous, on the other hand, I just have to know what happens. Is Josie alive or dead? Who is the Raft guy? Is he a danger, either immediate or long-term? Am I right with wanting to shoot Freddie Gomez and Natalie, as a preventative measure? I'm probably needing a really strong drink when reading the next part, regardless of wether or not anything happens that justifies it
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Oh, I really, really need to read the whole s… [view original content]
Perfectly understandable. You should keep in mind, though, that jumping to conclusions can also have negative consequences.
Yeah that is true. I have actually been wrong more often than not with my conclusions, as previous targets of my hatred included Jerry and Jake. Even Zafir ended up less bad than I thought. Though I was fully correct with Trevor, which is arguably not that big of an achievement. It's possible I'm right with distrusting Natalie, Freddie and Raftman as well. I'm pretty sure I'm correct in at least one of these cases, because no man can be that wrong, right?
Yes, the Bounds of Reason is the first story in the Sword of Destiny collection. I've actually only read the two collections so far (The Last Wish and now Sword of Destiny, respectively), so I haven't even begun the saga. And funny enough, I decided to read the novels before playing through the games to hopefully see a fuller picture when I get around to them
That is a good idea for sure, to read the novels first, especially for the third game. The first two are relatively stand-alone (and the first game can actually be ignored, it's mediocre in my opinion and I never even managed to finish it), but the third one heavily includes and develops themes from the novels. I actually ended up having to read up a few parts because I got slightly confused at times. Though that made me only more eager to finally read them. Ah, summer is coming and with it I'll have a lot more time for reading
Laredo, certainly. Despite everything I have tried to calm down, my paranoia level is still slowly on the rise and that is not a good thing.… more On the one hand, I am incredibly and unbearably nervous, on the other hand, I just have to know what happens. Is Josie alive or dead? Who is the Raft guy? Is he a danger, either immediate or long-term? Am I right with wanting to shoot Freddie Gomez and Natalie, as a preventative measure? I'm probably needing a really strong drink when reading the next part, regardless of wether or not anything happens that justifies it
Perfectly understandable. You should keep in mind, though, that jumping to conclusions can also have negative consequences.
Oh, I really, really need to read the whole series. So far, I have only read The Bounds of Reason, which is also included in the Sword of Destiny collection if I'm not mistaken. I absolutely love the games, especially the third, so I'm definitely a bit … [view original content]
I go with what the others said. I am the most curious and nervous about Laredo at the moment. There are so many good or bad things that can happen in the next part. Vincent is going to be nice as well but I want to see Laredo first
The Witcher stories are awesome, arent they? I enjoyed the short stories the most, especially the Last Wish collection but the Saga itself is also amazing. Have a lot of fun with it!
Voting is closed!
(!) Vincent will wait until the people leave before crawling to the camp to eat their scraps
Alrighty, the new part … moreshould be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Just a little heads up for those of you who are a part of my story, River that Runs Red. It's back up after quite awhile, so if you're interested here's the link. Anyone else that's interested is welcome to join if they so choose.
Firstly, welcome to the story! I'm happy to have your interest!
To address that, I can say without a doubt that there won't be a sequel. An extension is more possible, though still unlikely. I'm hoping to wrap this story up tightly when the time finally comes!
I saw four new comments here and I thought the new part is out XD It has been over a month since the last part. Do you know when the next part is finished?
I saw four new comments here and I thought the new part is out XD It has been over a month since the last part. Do you know when the next part is finished?
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, having met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she appreciated his concern.
She eyed the man restrained to the bed and gave a genuine smile, purposely breaking the overly hostile silence with her pleasant tone: “Hello, my name is Josephine. Can you speak?”
The man swallowed, trying desperately to wet his dry throat. He still struggling to mutter his words: “Yeah. With effort.”
“We’ll get you some water in moment when Maria comes back with the doctor,” Josephine said kindly. “Until that time, can you answer some questions?”
“Okay,” the man mumbled.
Josephine nodded, reinforced her smile, and produced a small notepad and pencil. “Can you tell us your name?”
“James.”
Jake spoke up, asked: “What’s your last name?”
The man steeled himself and replied with difficulty: “James Wilson.”
Josephine wrote it down then tapped the page with the pencil’s tip. “Your age?”
“39 in September.”
Josephine nodded. “What was your job before the apocalypse?”
“Police officer, in Arizona, since my twenties,” James answered. “The job ended a while after the shitshow began.”
“Do you know how you got here, how you got tied to the raft?”
“I was attacked… in... It happened in New Mexico.” His tired eyes widened. “Where am I now?”
“Laredo, Texas. You were found floating down the Rio Grande,” Josephine explained. “Now, who attacked you?”
“Texas. Fuck. I-- I was part of a group—a large one—that I was scouting for. They’re--”
“James,” Josephine interrupted. “Who cut you up? The same person who tied you to the raft?”
“What do you mean?” He looked genuinely confused. He momentarily tugged at his restraints.
Josephine saw Jake shift in the corner of her eyes. She moved a step closer to the bed and gave a serious look while trying to keep him calm with a level voice. “James, you’re covered in scars. But you’re not sick, fortunately--”
“W-What?” A look of panic crossed his expression as he interrupted her.
Jake uncrossed his arms, feeling unease as the man attempted to looked at his body for the scars. “They’re there,” Jake said. “We won’t loosen you’re restraints to look at them. Now, answers the lady’s question: Who attacked you?”
James stopped struggling, breathing heavily for a moment. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “He… she for all I know… captured me, I guess. I only really remember the first encounter. I felt like I… I was being followed, for a couple days. I was by myself. Then, one night, it attacked me after I’d made camp… It held captive.”
James frowned deeply. Josephine frowned, too. She felt some sympathy for what had happened to him. She asked: “Do you know how long it held you captive? Do you remember anything else?”
“I-- I woke up a few times in a haze, but not for very long. I couldn’t move. I’m not sure if I was restrained or drugged, but-- but there was a… a numb pain.” He grimaced angrily. “The fucker, it carved me up, for-- for what? And… fuck.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Josephine said.
“Can I see them?” he asked.
“What, do you think you’re a message in a bottle?” Jake looked at him sternly. “It’s not urgent. You can wait until Maria returns with the guy who saved your ass.”
Josephine finished writing in the notepad and bit her lip. “They’ll be here any minute, James. Will you please answer our questions until then?”
James nodded slowly. “Alright.”
“Let’s change topics briefly. You mentioned you were a part of a large group,” Josephine said. “What can you tell us about them?”
James wetted his cracked lips and began: “They had established themselves when I left on my mission. A long-term, solo scouting expedition. I wasn’t the only one sent out, but I was on my own. Our goal was to find anything that could serve the community—resources to cache, valuable locations to memerize. I’d traveled from the border of southern Colorado to the southern border of New Mexico. If you ask me, they’re probably well off at this point.”
“Meaning?” Jake asked.
James seemed to chose his words, then said: “It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they’re still there.”
“Well, I don’t doubt that,” Jake murmured, sarcasm underlining his tone, “but what’s makes you say that?”
“They’re smart,” he replied.
James looked indirectly at Josephine and she had the suspicion he was looking at her ear, that he had noticed the hearing aid.
“I’m gonna guess you didn’t have that before all this,” James said to her. “You know, if you’re gonna use guns… ear protection is a must. I don’t mean any offense, but you two, the young woman that left… you seem like civilians.”
“That’s enough,” Jake said harshly.
Josephine touched Jake’s arm to calm him and she addressed James in a quiet if cold tone. “Most of us were civilians, yes. But we’ve toughened up. Now, James--”
Tennis shoes tapped the tile floor furiously, growing louder as the person ran down the hallway. Maria rushed into the room, grabbing the doorframe to stop her momentum as well as catch her breath. “Calvin’s collapsed!” Between frantic breaths and tears, she added: “In-- In the storeroom!”
Jake and Josephine immediately took off without a moment’s hesitation. They ran out of James’s room together, Maria at their heels. James shouted something from down the hallway with a tone of confusion and genuine concern, but Josephine caught little of it as her adrenaline rushed.
The three of them arrived at the storeroom in twenty-five seconds flat. The medium-sized room was at the back of the building, and inside there were six rows of free-standing shelves, partially filled with medicines and small medical equipment; the back of the room stored larger items, several pieces of big machinery and two partially disassembled hospital beds.
Calvin laid in the far left corner of the room, lacking the slow rise of his chest. Josephine froze at the beginning of the aisle, cover her face with a stifled gasp while Jake and Maria ran past her. There were no immediate visible says of a struggle. Jake searched for a pulse in vain, muttering with frustration: “Dammit all.”
“W-What could have happened?” Maria asked in a stutter. There were tears building in her eyes.
Jake painfully bit his lip and didn’t say anything for a overly long moment. “I don’t know. Please, go find Danny... and... and tell Natalie.”
Maria half-nodded, walking toward the door then pausing just past Josephine before reluctantly continuing out the door the next moment. Josephine stood completely still, facing Jake indirectly with a face contorted with sadness. “He… He’s gonna come back. We have to prevent that.”
“Josie, Natalie’s gonna want us to wait.” Jake’s regret to say that was audible. “You know that the procedures. We don’t know what--”
“We know,” Josephine hissed. “Jesus fistfucking Christ. We know what’s gonna happen next. Natalie’s ‘procedures’ can go fuck off a cliff.”
“--We don’t know what caused… this,” Jake muttered. “If we destroy his brain, we may not be able to find out what happened to him.”
“We can do it cleanly,” Josephine insisted. There was an air of resentment in her voice.
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
[Wait for Natalie come to act as witness and perform an autopsy; risk Calvin’s reanimation.]
Calvin! Oh, shitshitshitshitshit I knew someone was going to get murdered. I hoped I was wrong, but it seemed inevitable. Now, while I am happy that neither Josie nor Maria ended up as the victims, as I originally feared, Calvin is a severe loss for the community. In terms of usefulness, he is perhaps even the most severe loss possible, as he was their only trained doctor. And oh, I'm going to miss the old man Considering the chapter title, it's clear that he was murdered and whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. Taking the most useful member of the community weakened them. Now, there are only Josie, Maria and perhaps a couple of others who know the basics, but if they find another guy like James, they won't be able to save his life. Now, at least I'm sure I know the way he was murdered. If they don't find any outside wounds, then it was most likely poison. Maybe Calvin was already poisoned by the time we last saw him... but who would murder with poison? Maybe someone wants to purposely weaken the community, which means that members of the council, Jake above all perhaps, could be the next targets. Or maybe Natalie is the murderer, maybe she slowly wants to kill Jerry and those who know about his survival. Since Calvin saved Jerry's life, he might have been her prime target. So, either a hostile outsider who infiltrated the community to weaken them and to prepare them for a takeover, or Natalie, those are my suspects. But honestly, it's a bit too early for full speculation. Knowing Monument, I'm probably wrong with both and there will be something completely unexpected coming up in the next chapter.
Then there is James... We finally have a name and it is not Vince. I still don't know if I should trust him or not, but I'm actually leaning more and more towards trusting him. His version of the story fits with what we know about the fox-mask guy that ties people to rafts. I might be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if he is trustworthy, then a police officer will be a very good addition to the community, especially with a murderer running around. I'm not sure if this is correct, but aren't many cops skilled in first aid? He could help filling the hole Calvin left. I don't know what to think of his community, but that is something to worry about lateranother day. On another note, I found Jake's protectiveness and obvious concern for Josie in this part beyond adorable as always Now the choice...
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
It is a risk, but as Josie said, they can do it cleanly. Put a knife through his eye and into his brain, that shouldn't destroy any evidence. And even if the brain holds evidence, it's not as if they have a trained neurosurgeon or pathologist to perform a clean autopsy. Josie put her opinion about Natalie's procedures into endearingly colourful terms and she is right. First, it is important to make sure that they won't be attacked by a reanimated Calvin, that should be common sense.
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, h… moreaving met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she app… [view original content]
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, h… moreaving met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she app… [view original content]
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, h… moreaving met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she app… [view original content]
Legit, I've been reading this part over for a while, maybe once an hour. But fuck what Natalie says. At least respect him enough to insure he doesn't return. And don't scratches basically do what a bite does, but more subtly? Yeah, I wouldn't want to risk Jake or Josie getting scratched because they were trying to hold Calvin back and wait for Natalie, which who knows how long that will take?
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
Oh, and also, if I may ask, what would have happened if we chose to look for Calvin instead? That's been something on my mind for a bit
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, h… moreaving met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she app… [view original content]
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.] If he turns while they examine him they wont be able to find anything, or do they plan to tie him up while doing it? I think there is not much evidence they can destroy if they do it cleanly. Its not only pragmatic to keep him from turning, it is the respectful thing to do for their friend.
RIP Calvin This was sad, because he was great. Maybe we would have prevented his death if we had searched for him instead of getting Josephine and Jake involved. But with a chapter that is called Murderer, someone had to die so I doubt it. After coming so far, every death is sad. I hope this isnt the beginning of a serial killing.
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, h… moreaving met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she app… [view original content]
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, relationships could have been at stake.
Another part is due the latter half of this week, which will feature Vincent. Unfortunately, starting later this week I won't have access to a computer until next week, so we won't have another look at Laredo for a while longer. I'll get some work done on its continuation before the trip and finish up after the fact. Not leaving quite yet, so I'll see you around soon!
Voting is closed!
(!) They will ensure Calvin does not reanimate
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, r… moreelationships could have been at stake.
Another part is due the latter half of this week, which will feature Vincent. Unfortunately, starting later this week I won't have access to a computer until next week, so we won't have another look at Laredo for a while longer. I'll get some work done on its continuation before the trip and finish up after the fact. Not leaving quite yet, so I'll see you around soon!
The four men camp atop the country road ate their fill for a painstakingly long time. Once they had finished, they began harvesting every last morsel from the animal.
Vincent observed them in and out of consciousness. The image of the men all still present was fresh on his mind, and he opened his eyes to utter darkness and found himself once again alone. He pushed himself to his feet with difficulty and slowly stumbled down the hill with a lack of balance.
Vincent’s complete exhaustion got the better of him and he lost his footing, tumbling the rest of the way until the incline leveled out enough to stop his momentum. His rifle, maliciously still slung over his shoulder, hit him painfully in the ribs.
He rose with effort, and peered in front of him, hoping he hadn’t lost the road. A few dying embers shone to his left, and he lumbered toward them. Despite his numbness, he recognized sensation of stepping onto the pavement.
Vincent tripped over something unexpectedly and limply fell into a pool of liquid, hitting his head hard on the asphalt. He was once again unconscious.
A dull, morning light greeted Vincent’s eyes as he blinked. He was uncomfortably sticky and his nose was assaulted by a horrible stench. He pushed off the asphalt with all his strength and his eyes finally focused on the body on top of which he’d stumbled.
All four men were dead and lying in a large, collective pool of their own, congealed blood. Vincent as kneeling in the thick of it. Files swarmed all five of the men, alive and dead, as well as the animal carcass.
Vincent fell backward and away from the carriage and onto dew damp road. He managed to vomit a small amount, then preceded to gag. Still gagging, he took off his blood-drenched jacket and jeans, then got further upwind of it all. He threw off his rifle; it would need to be cleaned, too. It took him another few minutes to regain some semblance of composure so he could reassess the scene.
Several bullet wounds were very obviously visible on the corpse Vincent had tripped over and the dead man’s holster was empty. The other three looked to have suffered a similar fate. He didn’t want to believe what had happened: Between the time he’d dozed off and awoke to darkness, they’d been shot and rob.
Despite it all, Vincent still looked at the large animal carcass with hunger. If he could move it, he knew could get something off of it. It was then Vincent realized the robbers had left the corpses; that meant he was likely out of cannibal country. He was once again reminded of Zayne. Being out of cannibal country meant the boy was long gone, too. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
He pushed the thoughts aside and physically and mentally prepared himself to get within feet of the campsite again to drag the animal carcass into the grass. He’d search them camp for anything left behind later. Then he’d heed the others’ mistakes and stay off the road completely.
He noticed several sets of bloodied boot prints that led further up the road before fading. Robbers were robbers, and Vincent knew which way they’d gone. If he hid himself in the right spot, with his rifle ready, he knew they wouldn’t stand much of a chance.
The chapter finale will be posted next month, continuing the Laredo storyline.
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, relationships could have been at stake.
Oh man, that probably means we just narrowly avoided the destruction of the adorableness that is Josie and Jake Now I am so glad we chose that option, because they are so great together that I don't want them to split up ever. Though, considering how close they are, I am not sure if that one action would have caused her to break up with him, even if she would have obviously been pissed. Alternatively, we saved the way Danny or Maria see Jake. In any way, I guess not preventing Calvin from turning would have really caused many people to get a worse opinion on Jake.
Voting is closed!
(!) They will ensure Calvin does not reanimate
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, r… moreelationships could have been at stake.
Another part is due the latter half of this week, which will feature Vincent. Unfortunately, starting later this week I won't have access to a computer until next week, so we won't have another look at Laredo for a while longer. I'll get some work done on its continuation before the trip and finish up after the fact. Not leaving quite yet, so I'll see you around soon!
Even more murder It appears the chapter title relates to both storylines. It's sad when it can be said as a positive thing that the corpses haven't been eaten by cannibals. Vincent really is in a lot of trouble and I'm afraid Zayne is in even bigger trouble. I wonder if Vince is ever going to find him alive, considering that he is seemingly in a completely different area now. Anyways, I have the slight feeling that the murder of these men might be related to the stuff that happened to James. Perhaps the Fox Mask Guy is some sort of serial killer who tortures his victims whenever he has the time to do so.
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 7)
Vincent
The four men camp atop the country road ate their fill for a painstakingly long time. Once… more they had finished, they began harvesting every last morsel from the animal.
Vincent observed them in and out of consciousness. The image of the men all still present was fresh on his mind, and he opened his eyes to utter darkness and found himself once again alone. He pushed himself to his feet with difficulty and slowly stumbled down the hill with a lack of balance.
Vincent’s complete exhaustion got the better of him and he lost his footing, tumbling the rest of the way until the incline leveled out enough to stop his momentum. His rifle, maliciously still slung over his shoulder, hit him painfully in the ribs.
He rose with effort, and peered in front of him, hoping he hadn’t lost the road. A few dying embers shone to his left, and he lumbered toward them. Despite his numbness, he recognized se… [view original content]
You're right. It wouldn't have caused them to separate out right. Though Jake's refusal would have strained their relationship for some time, and as imighthavebroken brought up, would have also ruined his personal relationships with Maria and especially Danny. The chosen option was, in terms of preserving relationships, absolutely the better option.
I've returned! I took a road trip through Lousiana and then stayed a few days in Mississippi. It was a very nice experience. Plus, I stopped by a few bookstores and picked up Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski. I'm looking forward to reading it! :^)
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, relationships could have been at stake.
Oh man, that probably me… moreans we just narrowly avoided the destruction of the adorableness that is Josie and Jake Now I am so glad we chose that option, because they are so great together that I don't want them to split up ever. Though, considering how close they are, I am not sure if that one action would have caused her to break up with him, even if she would have obviously been pissed. Alternatively, we saved the way Danny or Maria see Jake. In any way, I guess not preventing Calvin from turning would have really caused many people to get a worse opinion on Jake.
And I hope you enjoy your trip
Even more murder It appears the chapter title relates to both storylines. It's sad when it can be said as a positive thing that the corpses haven't been eaten by cannibals. Vincent really is in a lot of trouble and I'm afraid Zayne is in even bigger trouble. I wonder if Vince is ever going to find him alive, considering that he is seemingly in a completely different area now. Anyways, I have the slight feeling that the murder of these men might be related to the stuff that happened to James. Perhaps the Fox Mask Guy is some sort of serial killer who tortures his victims whenever he has the time to do so.
At this point, Zayne has been missing for about four months... in cannibal country. It can be reasonably assumed that Zayne will not be making another appearance in Vincent's storyline.
I can also say that approaching the group on the road would have led to a worse outcome. Basically, Vincent would have fallen down the hill pretty pitifully, been robbed by the group at the road and then left for dead. This wouldn't have changed the group's fate, though.
On a different note, Vincent's storyline is going to tie into the Laredo storyline to a great effect by Act IV. Perhaps not in the ways you've speculated. Chapter 14 or 15 will build on this.
Even more murder It appears the chapter title relates to both storylines. It's sad when it can be said as a positive thing that the corpses… more haven't been eaten by cannibals. Vincent really is in a lot of trouble and I'm afraid Zayne is in even bigger trouble. I wonder if Vince is ever going to find him alive, considering that he is seemingly in a completely different area now. Anyways, I have the slight feeling that the murder of these men might be related to the stuff that happened to James. Perhaps the Fox Mask Guy is some sort of serial killer who tortures his victims whenever he has the time to do so.
I just got back from Louisiana after seeing family like the day before yesterday. Well, technically the day before that, but I was there for a week.
As for the relationships, I figured that Danny and Calvin had this close relationship, it would be awful for Danny to see Calvin as a zombie. Looking into it, I can sort of see how refusing would alter Jake's relationship with Maria, but it might not be as clear to me. Anyyyways, glad we chose right.
You're right. It wouldn't have caused them to separate out right. Though Jake's refusal would have strained their relationship for some time… more, and as imighthavebroken brought up, would have also ruined his personal relationships with Maria and especially Danny. The chosen option was, in terms of preserving relationships, absolutely the better option.
I've returned! I took a road trip through Lousiana and then stayed a few days in Mississippi. It was a very nice experience. Plus, I stopped by a few bookstores and picked up Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski. I'm looking forward to reading it! :^)
Comments
[Wait until they leave and then crawl to the camp to eat the scraps.]
Safety comes first. I dont think there are many people left who would help Vincent during this stage of the apocalypse and the chance that the four he sees here are good people is a lot lower than the chance that they are bad people.
Voting is closed!
(!) Vincent will wait until the people leave before crawling to the camp to eat their scraps
Alrighty, the new part should be written and posted in the near future, probably later this week. But since I haven't begun the continuation of either part, which would you rather have first, the Laredo storyline or Vincent's?
On a side note, I just finished reading Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski... and I'm hooked
Laredo, certainly. Despite everything I have tried to calm down, my paranoia level is still slowly on the rise and that is not a good thing. On the one hand, I am incredibly and unbearably nervous, on the other hand, I just have to know what happens. Is Josie alive or dead? Who is the Raft guy? Is he a danger, either immediate or long-term? Am I right with wanting to shoot Freddie Gomez and Natalie, as a preventative measure? I'm probably needing a really strong drink when reading the next part, regardless of wether or not anything happens that justifies it
Oh, I really, really need to read the whole series. So far, I have only read The Bounds of Reason, which is also included in the Sword of Destiny collection if I'm not mistaken. I absolutely love the games, especially the third, so I'm definitely a bit behind when it comes to the novels
I'm going to have to say Laredo, because I'm pretty interested in what is going to happen with Raft man ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Looks like I'm gonna need to catch up on this and make some characters tomorrow.
Perfectly understandable. You should keep in mind, though, that jumping to conclusions can also have negative consequences.
Yes, the Bounds of Reason is the first story in the Sword of Destiny collection. I've actually only read the two collections so far (The Last Wish and now Sword of Destiny, respectively), so I haven't even begun the saga. And funny enough, I decided to read the novels before playing through the games to hopefully see a fuller picture when I get around to them
I've actually begun work on a better-edited compilation of the story so far if you're interested in waiting for it.
I could read both too :P
Yeah that is true. I have actually been wrong more often than not with my conclusions, as previous targets of my hatred included Jerry and Jake. Even Zafir ended up less bad than I thought. Though I was fully correct with Trevor, which is arguably not that big of an achievement. It's possible I'm right with distrusting Natalie, Freddie and Raftman as well. I'm pretty sure I'm correct in at least one of these cases, because no man can be that wrong, right?
That is a good idea for sure, to read the novels first, especially for the third game. The first two are relatively stand-alone (and the first game can actually be ignored, it's mediocre in my opinion and I never even managed to finish it), but the third one heavily includes and develops themes from the novels. I actually ended up having to read up a few parts because I got slightly confused at times. Though that made me only more eager to finally read them. Ah, summer is coming and with it I'll have a lot more time for reading
I go with what the others said. I am the most curious and nervous about Laredo at the moment. There are so many good or bad things that can happen in the next part. Vincent is going to be nice as well but I want to see Laredo first
The Witcher stories are awesome, arent they? I enjoyed the short stories the most, especially the Last Wish collection but the Saga itself is also amazing. Have a lot of fun with it!
Just a little heads up for those of you who are a part of my story, River that Runs Red. It's back up after quite awhile, so if you're interested here's the link. Anyone else that's interested is welcome to join if they so choose.
https://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/92420/river-that-s-run-red-interactive-twd-story-chatacter-submission-open-chapter-2
Thanks to Hope for giving me permission to post this
i submitted a character by the name of Doc SiNn i did not have an account so i just now created one
Welcome to the forums and to the story
when he gets done i hope he makes a sequal to this story
thanks its great to be here
Firstly, welcome to the story! I'm happy to have your interest!
To address that, I can say without a doubt that there won't be a sequel. An extension is more possible, though still unlikely. I'm hoping to wrap this story up tightly when the time finally comes!
I saw four new comments here and I thought the new part is out XD It has been over a month since the last part. Do you know when the next part is finished?
Not really. There is an unfinished part in the works but I've got a case of writer's block. Though, this hiatus hopefully won't last much longer!
Hello! Just wanted to say I just found out about your story and I'm fully caught up and I'm loving it! Keep up the great work man!
Thank you and welcome to the story! I haven't been expecting new readers, so this is a pleasant surprise!
made a new character
Received and accounted for! Thank you
cant wait to see what happens to my characters!!!!
Ok! I hope the next part will come soon but its all fine, take your time ^^
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 6)
The man was still there when Maria returned to the room with Josephine. Jake followed them closely, having met them at the entrance of the infirmary at Josie’s behest over the radio.
Josephine and Jake stepped inside; Maria lingered in the doorway, meeting and holding the gaze of the man for a prolonged moment before looking toward her friends for instruction.
“Go find Calvin,” Jake ordered her. “We’ll handle this for now.”
Maria nodded, exchanged one last glance with the man, then left.
Josephine walked deeper into the room, stopping half a meter from the bedside. She stole a look at Jake from the corner of her eye; he had taken a spot near the foot of the bed and bore an unusually stoic demeanor, chest puffed out with a hand placed on his belt above his pistol holster, almost glaring at the restrained man. She knew it was a facade, an unspoken threat. Despite finding it unnecessary, she appreciated his concern.
She eyed the man restrained to the bed and gave a genuine smile, purposely breaking the overly hostile silence with her pleasant tone: “Hello, my name is Josephine. Can you speak?”
The man swallowed, trying desperately to wet his dry throat. He still struggling to mutter his words: “Yeah. With effort.”
“We’ll get you some water in moment when Maria comes back with the doctor,” Josephine said kindly. “Until that time, can you answer some questions?”
“Okay,” the man mumbled.
Josephine nodded, reinforced her smile, and produced a small notepad and pencil. “Can you tell us your name?”
“James.”
Jake spoke up, asked: “What’s your last name?”
The man steeled himself and replied with difficulty: “James Wilson.”
Josephine wrote it down then tapped the page with the pencil’s tip. “Your age?”
“39 in September.”
Josephine nodded. “What was your job before the apocalypse?”
“Police officer, in Arizona, since my twenties,” James answered. “The job ended a while after the shitshow began.”
“Do you know how you got here, how you got tied to the raft?”
“I was attacked… in... It happened in New Mexico.” His tired eyes widened. “Where am I now?”
“Laredo, Texas. You were found floating down the Rio Grande,” Josephine explained. “Now, who attacked you?”
“Texas. Fuck. I-- I was part of a group—a large one—that I was scouting for. They’re--”
“James,” Josephine interrupted. “Who cut you up? The same person who tied you to the raft?”
“What do you mean?” He looked genuinely confused. He momentarily tugged at his restraints.
Josephine saw Jake shift in the corner of her eyes. She moved a step closer to the bed and gave a serious look while trying to keep him calm with a level voice. “James, you’re covered in scars. But you’re not sick, fortunately--”
“W-What?” A look of panic crossed his expression as he interrupted her.
Jake uncrossed his arms, feeling unease as the man attempted to looked at his body for the scars. “They’re there,” Jake said. “We won’t loosen you’re restraints to look at them. Now, answers the lady’s question: Who attacked you?”
James stopped struggling, breathing heavily for a moment. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “He… she for all I know… captured me, I guess. I only really remember the first encounter. I felt like I… I was being followed, for a couple days. I was by myself. Then, one night, it attacked me after I’d made camp… It held captive.”
James frowned deeply. Josephine frowned, too. She felt some sympathy for what had happened to him. She asked: “Do you know how long it held you captive? Do you remember anything else?”
“I-- I woke up a few times in a haze, but not for very long. I couldn’t move. I’m not sure if I was restrained or drugged, but-- but there was a… a numb pain.” He grimaced angrily. “The fucker, it carved me up, for-- for what? And… fuck.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Josephine said.
“Can I see them?” he asked.
“What, do you think you’re a message in a bottle?” Jake looked at him sternly. “It’s not urgent. You can wait until Maria returns with the guy who saved your ass.”
Josephine finished writing in the notepad and bit her lip. “They’ll be here any minute, James. Will you please answer our questions until then?”
James nodded slowly. “Alright.”
“Let’s change topics briefly. You mentioned you were a part of a large group,” Josephine said. “What can you tell us about them?”
James wetted his cracked lips and began: “They had established themselves when I left on my mission. A long-term, solo scouting expedition. I wasn’t the only one sent out, but I was on my own. Our goal was to find anything that could serve the community—resources to cache, valuable locations to memerize. I’d traveled from the border of southern Colorado to the southern border of New Mexico. If you ask me, they’re probably well off at this point.”
“Meaning?” Jake asked.
James seemed to chose his words, then said: “It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they’re still there.”
“Well, I don’t doubt that,” Jake murmured, sarcasm underlining his tone, “but what’s makes you say that?”
“They’re smart,” he replied.
James looked indirectly at Josephine and she had the suspicion he was looking at her ear, that he had noticed the hearing aid.
“I’m gonna guess you didn’t have that before all this,” James said to her. “You know, if you’re gonna use guns… ear protection is a must. I don’t mean any offense, but you two, the young woman that left… you seem like civilians.”
“That’s enough,” Jake said harshly.
Josephine touched Jake’s arm to calm him and she addressed James in a quiet if cold tone. “Most of us were civilians, yes. But we’ve toughened up. Now, James--”
Tennis shoes tapped the tile floor furiously, growing louder as the person ran down the hallway. Maria rushed into the room, grabbing the doorframe to stop her momentum as well as catch her breath. “Calvin’s collapsed!” Between frantic breaths and tears, she added: “In-- In the storeroom!”
Jake and Josephine immediately took off without a moment’s hesitation. They ran out of James’s room together, Maria at their heels. James shouted something from down the hallway with a tone of confusion and genuine concern, but Josephine caught little of it as her adrenaline rushed.
The three of them arrived at the storeroom in twenty-five seconds flat. The medium-sized room was at the back of the building, and inside there were six rows of free-standing shelves, partially filled with medicines and small medical equipment; the back of the room stored larger items, several pieces of big machinery and two partially disassembled hospital beds.
Calvin laid in the far left corner of the room, lacking the slow rise of his chest. Josephine froze at the beginning of the aisle, cover her face with a stifled gasp while Jake and Maria ran past her. There were no immediate visible says of a struggle. Jake searched for a pulse in vain, muttering with frustration: “Dammit all.”
“W-What could have happened?” Maria asked in a stutter. There were tears building in her eyes.
Jake painfully bit his lip and didn’t say anything for a overly long moment. “I don’t know. Please, go find Danny... and... and tell Natalie.”
Maria half-nodded, walking toward the door then pausing just past Josephine before reluctantly continuing out the door the next moment. Josephine stood completely still, facing Jake indirectly with a face contorted with sadness. “He… He’s gonna come back. We have to prevent that.”
“Josie, Natalie’s gonna want us to wait.” Jake’s regret to say that was audible. “You know that the procedures. We don’t know what--”
“We know,” Josephine hissed. “Jesus fistfucking Christ. We know what’s gonna happen next. Natalie’s ‘procedures’ can go fuck off a cliff.”
“--We don’t know what caused… this,” Jake muttered. “If we destroy his brain, we may not be able to find out what happened to him.”
“We can do it cleanly,” Josephine insisted. There was an air of resentment in her voice.
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
[Wait for Natalie come to act as witness and perform an autopsy; risk Calvin’s reanimation.]
Calvin! Oh, shitshitshitshitshit
I knew someone was going to get murdered. I hoped I was wrong, but it seemed inevitable. Now, while I am happy that neither Josie nor Maria ended up as the victims, as I originally feared, Calvin is a severe loss for the community. In terms of usefulness, he is perhaps even the most severe loss possible, as he was their only trained doctor. And oh, I'm going to miss the old man 
Considering the chapter title, it's clear that he was murdered and whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. Taking the most useful member of the community weakened them. Now, there are only Josie, Maria and perhaps a couple of others who know the basics, but if they find another guy like James, they won't be able to save his life. Now, at least I'm sure I know the way he was murdered. If they don't find any outside wounds, then it was most likely poison. Maybe Calvin was already poisoned by the time we last saw him... but who would murder with poison? Maybe someone wants to purposely weaken the community, which means that members of the council, Jake above all perhaps, could be the next targets. Or maybe Natalie is the murderer, maybe she slowly wants to kill Jerry and those who know about his survival. Since Calvin saved Jerry's life, he might have been her prime target. So, either a hostile outsider who infiltrated the community to weaken them and to prepare them for a takeover, or Natalie, those are my suspects. But honestly, it's a bit too early for full speculation. Knowing Monument, I'm probably wrong with both and there will be something completely unexpected coming up in the next chapter.
Then there is James... We finally have a name and it is not Vince. I still don't know if I should trust him or not, but I'm actually leaning more and more towards trusting him. His version of the story fits with what we know about the fox-mask guy that ties people to rafts. I might be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if he is trustworthy, then a police officer will be a very good addition to the community, especially with a murderer running around. I'm not sure if this is correct, but aren't many cops skilled in first aid? He could help filling the hole Calvin left. I don't know what to think of his community, but that is something to worry about lateranother day. On another note, I found Jake's protectiveness and obvious concern for Josie in this part beyond adorable as always
Now the choice...
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
It is a risk, but as Josie said, they can do it cleanly. Put a knife through his eye and into his brain, that shouldn't destroy any evidence. And even if the brain holds evidence, it's not as if they have a trained neurosurgeon or pathologist to perform a clean autopsy. Josie put her opinion about Natalie's procedures into endearingly colourful terms and she is right. First, it is important to make sure that they won't be attacked by a reanimated Calvin, that should be common sense.
[Wait for Natalie come to act as witness and perform an autopsy; risk Calvin’s reanimation.]
No Calvin!
Jerry was saved by him. I imagine having all of that in his skull is NOT good.
I guess I vote for this, because, you know, it's one person, you can just hold him down and stop him from doing anything, right?
wait for natalie!
As long as they do it carefully, the evidence should be fine.
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
[Wait for Natalie come to act as witness and perform an autopsy; risk Calvin’s reanimation.]
Calvin? No, man. Come on. Calvin?
Legit, I've been reading this part over for a while, maybe once an hour. But fuck what Natalie says. At least respect him enough to insure he doesn't return. And don't scratches basically do what a bite does, but more subtly? Yeah, I wouldn't want to risk Jake or Josie getting scratched because they were trying to hold Calvin back and wait for Natalie, which who knows how long that will take?
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.]
Oh, and also, if I may ask, what would have happened if we chose to look for Calvin instead? That's been something on my mind for a bit
[Ensure Calvin doesn’t reanimate; risk destroying the evidence.] If he turns while they examine him they wont be able to find anything, or do they plan to tie him up while doing it? I think there is not much evidence they can destroy if they do it cleanly. Its not only pragmatic to keep him from turning, it is the respectful thing to do for their friend.
RIP Calvin
This was sad, because he was great. Maybe we would have prevented his death if we had searched for him instead of getting Josephine and Jake involved. But with a chapter that is called Murderer, someone had to die so I doubt it. After coming so far, every death is sad. I hope this isnt the beginning of a serial killing.
Voting is closed!
(!) They will ensure Calvin does not reanimate
You've chosen... wisely. Depending on whether Jake relented or not, relationships could have been at stake.
Another part is due the latter half of this week, which will feature Vincent. Unfortunately, starting later this week I won't have access to a computer until next week, so we won't have another look at Laredo for a while longer. I'll get some work done on its continuation before the trip and finish up after the fact. Not leaving quite yet, so I'll see you around soon!
I have a strong feeling that one of the relationships would have been his and Danny's, as well as Josie
Anyways, have a nice trip and see you around!
Chapter Thirteen: Murderer (Part 7)
Vincent
The four men camp atop the country road ate their fill for a painstakingly long time. Once they had finished, they began harvesting every last morsel from the animal.
Vincent observed them in and out of consciousness. The image of the men all still present was fresh on his mind, and he opened his eyes to utter darkness and found himself once again alone. He pushed himself to his feet with difficulty and slowly stumbled down the hill with a lack of balance.
Vincent’s complete exhaustion got the better of him and he lost his footing, tumbling the rest of the way until the incline leveled out enough to stop his momentum. His rifle, maliciously still slung over his shoulder, hit him painfully in the ribs.
He rose with effort, and peered in front of him, hoping he hadn’t lost the road. A few dying embers shone to his left, and he lumbered toward them. Despite his numbness, he recognized sensation of stepping onto the pavement.
Vincent tripped over something unexpectedly and limply fell into a pool of liquid, hitting his head hard on the asphalt. He was once again unconscious.
A dull, morning light greeted Vincent’s eyes as he blinked. He was uncomfortably sticky and his nose was assaulted by a horrible stench. He pushed off the asphalt with all his strength and his eyes finally focused on the body on top of which he’d stumbled.
All four men were dead and lying in a large, collective pool of their own, congealed blood. Vincent as kneeling in the thick of it. Files swarmed all five of the men, alive and dead, as well as the animal carcass.
Vincent fell backward and away from the carriage and onto dew damp road. He managed to vomit a small amount, then preceded to gag. Still gagging, he took off his blood-drenched jacket and jeans, then got further upwind of it all. He threw off his rifle; it would need to be cleaned, too. It took him another few minutes to regain some semblance of composure so he could reassess the scene.
Several bullet wounds were very obviously visible on the corpse Vincent had tripped over and the dead man’s holster was empty. The other three looked to have suffered a similar fate. He didn’t want to believe what had happened: Between the time he’d dozed off and awoke to darkness, they’d been shot and rob.
Despite it all, Vincent still looked at the large animal carcass with hunger. If he could move it, he knew could get something off of it. It was then Vincent realized the robbers had left the corpses; that meant he was likely out of cannibal country. He was once again reminded of Zayne. Being out of cannibal country meant the boy was long gone, too. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
He pushed the thoughts aside and physically and mentally prepared himself to get within feet of the campsite again to drag the animal carcass into the grass. He’d search them camp for anything left behind later. Then he’d heed the others’ mistakes and stay off the road completely.
He noticed several sets of bloodied boot prints that led further up the road before fading. Robbers were robbers, and Vincent knew which way they’d gone. If he hid himself in the right spot, with his rifle ready, he knew they wouldn’t stand much of a chance.
The chapter finale will be posted next month, continuing the Laredo storyline.
Oh man, that probably means we just narrowly avoided the destruction of the adorableness that is Josie and Jake
Now I am so glad we chose that option, because they are so great together that I don't want them to split up ever. Though, considering how close they are, I am not sure if that one action would have caused her to break up with him, even if she would have obviously been pissed. Alternatively, we saved the way Danny or Maria see Jake. In any way, I guess not preventing Calvin from turning would have really caused many people to get a worse opinion on Jake.
And I hope you enjoy your trip
Even more murder
It appears the chapter title relates to both storylines. It's sad when it can be said as a positive thing that the corpses haven't been eaten by cannibals. Vincent really is in a lot of trouble and I'm afraid Zayne is in even bigger trouble. I wonder if Vince is ever going to find him alive, considering that he is seemingly in a completely different area now. Anyways, I have the slight feeling that the murder of these men might be related to the stuff that happened to James. Perhaps the Fox Mask Guy is some sort of serial killer who tortures his victims whenever he has the time to do so.
You're right. It wouldn't have caused them to separate out right. Though Jake's refusal would have strained their relationship for some time, and as imighthavebroken brought up, would have also ruined his personal relationships with Maria and especially Danny. The chosen option was, in terms of preserving relationships, absolutely the better option.
I've returned! I took a road trip through Lousiana and then stayed a few days in Mississippi. It was a very nice experience. Plus, I stopped by a few bookstores and picked up Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski. I'm looking forward to reading it! :^)
At this point, Zayne has been missing for about four months... in cannibal country. It can be reasonably assumed that Zayne will not be making another appearance in Vincent's storyline.
I can also say that approaching the group on the road would have led to a worse outcome. Basically, Vincent would have fallen down the hill pretty pitifully, been robbed by the group at the road and then left for dead. This wouldn't have changed the group's fate, though.
On a different note, Vincent's storyline is going to tie into the Laredo storyline to a great effect by Act IV. Perhaps not in the ways you've speculated. Chapter 14 or 15 will build on this.
I just got back from Louisiana after seeing family like the day before yesterday. Well, technically the day before that, but I was there for a week.
As for the relationships, I figured that Danny and Calvin had this close relationship, it would be awful for Danny to see Calvin as a zombie. Looking into it, I can sort of see how refusing would alter Jake's relationship with Maria, but it might not be as clear to me. Anyyyways, glad we chose right.