So... I am not sure if today is truly the day. I hate that you can't see the exact date of posts from previous years, as I now have to guess if I'm right. I know the story started somewhere between the 14th and the 20th of February in 2015, but I might not have hit the exact date. Maybe Hope knows a more precise one?
Anyways, let's just, for simplicities sake, say that I am roughly correct here. This means that today is most likely the day where Monument turns 2 years old! And what can I say, aside from Happy Birthday to my favourite story?
I can say quite a number, as it turns out. First of all, thank you, Hope, for writing this story for two whole years already. Many other stories are among my favourites, many gave me emotions, but none of them have moved me as genuinely as this masterpiece. There has been just about every kind of emotion over the course of the story, even though I have never been one to easily get moved by written things. Monument changed that. I have enjoyed every part, every scene, every moment of this wonderful story. There have been so many memorable things that will stick with me even long after this story has ended (at a point that is hopefully still far, far away) and I am so happy to celebrate this second birthday. May there be many more anniversaries to celebrate. For now, I, like probably everyone else here, is really looking forward for the next parts. The story has progesssively gotten better with every new part and that means quite something, when you consider how strong it already started. And nothing of this would have been possible if not for your dedication to writing this story. So, again, thank you. You created something wonderful here that has been going strong for two years now and I can't wait to learn what else you have planned for the future!
My reply is going to also serve as my addressal of the anniversary as well as some announcements. Hope you don't mind, Liquid! :P
According to the timestamps in the submission spreadsheet, the first character to be submitted (interestingly, this was James) was submitted on the 22nd. You were close! Six days isn't too far off! Although I haven't got anything special planned, this time the anniversary didn't sneak up on me. It's really crazy to think that I've been at this story for two years now, and come autumn, I would have been writing on this site for three years, which is absolute insanity. Obviously, it's time I consider well-spent. I simply would not have been writing if not for getting drawn into the interactive story scene, nor do I think I would have become such an avid reader. I know some day the practice and skills I'm actively acquiring here will be put to use on something, though I can't say for sure what that might be (though I do know what will follow once one of my active stories concludes). It's been an incredible privilege for you all to allow me to write, fail, succeed, but above all try and, in doing so, improve.
Monument to the Walking Dead has had a long time coming. It's unfortunate to say, but kinda goes without saying given how many chapters I set out to write in the beginning, that I didn't really have any idea where this was all going to. So I'm happy to announce I've got a tighter lid on things to come, and I've got plans for a climax, which brings San Antonio back into the light, the set-up for it will begin in act 4. Once act 3 ends, things are going to change, but moreso things will grow. Typically, Monument had one storyline with a point of view that moved around freely between the central characters. I don't plan to change. I merely plan to add to it. There will be multiple storylines—probably three—from chapter 16 onward, each with its own set of core characters, around which the POV will shift, possibly shifting between chapters. I've already segments of a interlude to air between the acts, but I actually thought about revising my plans a little. The many of the current main characters have been followed from quite early on in the apocalypse. So to sort of even the playing field in terms of development, I think I might revise the interlude into something similar to the 400 Days DLC from TWD S1 with some inspiration from the Javier's prologue in TWD S3 (I haven't really watched anything else of S3, but I found the scene to be really effective and would like to emulate it to a degree). My thinking is that, now that we're so far into the apocalypse, it's difficult to explain what was written in these characters' backstories without some potentially clunky dialogue or exposition. There will be one to several scenes for each character being featured, some set before, during, and after the virus. The goal of this will be smoothly drop some exposition as well as set up things for the new storylines. So, confirmation on that. Bringing the discussion back to Monument's anniversary, I'm sorry I don't have anything planned. All I can really offer is that the new part will be out before the actual date, and that it will be doozy. Only four paragraphs (of significant size, if I might add) are written. It's all pretty much the set for what's to come, but what that means is it's all up- (or very possibly down-) hill from here. I'll see you again soon!
So... I am not sure if today is truly the day. I hate that you can't see the exact date of posts from previous years, as I now have to guess… more if I'm right. I know the story started somewhere between the 14th and the 20th of February in 2015, but I might not have hit the exact date. Maybe Hope knows a more precise one?
Anyways, let's just, for simplicities sake, say that I am roughly correct here. This means that today is most likely the day where Monument turns 2 years old! And what can I say, aside from Happy Birthday to my favourite story?
I can say quite a number, as it turns out. First of all, thank you, Hope, for writing this story for two whole years already. Many other stories are among my favourites, many gave me emotions, but none of them have moved me as genuinely as this masterpiece. There has been just about every kind of emotion over the course of the story, even though I have never been one to easily get moved by written th… [view original content]
It's so awesome how long this story's been going on. I came to this story late but it was so worth it to put my time into catching up. I really like the backstory idea as well!
My reply is going to also serve as my addressal of the anniversary as well as some announcements. Hope you don't mind, Liquid! :P
Accordi… moreng to the timestamps in the submission spreadsheet, the first character to be submitted (interestingly, this was James) was submitted on the 22nd. You were close! Six days isn't too far off! Although I haven't got anything special planned, this time the anniversary didn't sneak up on me. It's really crazy to think that I've been at this story for two years now, and come autumn, I would have been writing on this site for three years, which is absolute insanity. Obviously, it's time I consider well-spent. I simply would not have been writing if not for getting drawn into the interactive story scene, nor do I think I would have become such an avid reader. I know some day the practice and skills I'm actively acquiring here will be put to use on something, though I can't say for sure what that might be (though… [view original content]
The 22nd? Wow, I did not expect this. I thought it has started earlier than that and that I have been more close to it. Then again, it generally feels as if Monument has been around forever, with how dear it has become to me. Ah, I shall remember this date for the next anniversary. And I must say, it is interesting to hear that James has been the first character to be submitted. I know he has been on the character list for a while before being introduced in the story, but I did not expect this. In general, I am super excited for what's to come.
And multiple storylines sounds like a great thing. I guess it mostly means longer chapters and therefore more Monument, which means I fully and enthusiastically support this decison. Of course I am highly attached to the current group, but I am more than willing to give other groups and their storylines a chance as well and I have no doubt that I will enjoy them. This backstory idea is also a nice idea. That scene you have mentioned from Season 3, with Javi's prologue, is one of my favourites in the entire Walking Dead series, an incredibly well-done scene, so I can only imagine how awesome such a thing would be. So, go for it
My reply is going to also serve as my addressal of the anniversary as well as some announcements. Hope you don't mind, Liquid! :P
Accordi… moreng to the timestamps in the submission spreadsheet, the first character to be submitted (interestingly, this was James) was submitted on the 22nd. You were close! Six days isn't too far off! Although I haven't got anything special planned, this time the anniversary didn't sneak up on me. It's really crazy to think that I've been at this story for two years now, and come autumn, I would have been writing on this site for three years, which is absolute insanity. Obviously, it's time I consider well-spent. I simply would not have been writing if not for getting drawn into the interactive story scene, nor do I think I would have become such an avid reader. I know some day the practice and skills I'm actively acquiring here will be put to use on something, though I can't say for sure what that might be (though… [view original content]
James, 15-05: The beginning of the end of their two-month expedition, the final stretch, began at six a.m. as the pre-dawn glow to the east was just growing more substantial. Little sleep had been had beforehand. Wakeful due to a combination of anticipation and anxiety, they had inventoried their supplies, performed maintenance on their firearms, and applied ointment to the various open sores and blisters coating their abused feet, each catching interspersed winks of sleep throughout the dwindling hours of night. Gearing up, they gathered one by one in the cool respite of morning outside the chain link run, the air still permeated by the stench of the dead. Once they were all outside, James shut and latched the gate, thinking about Adam and feeling the same dissatisfaction one might experience from leaving the movie theater early or losing a book in which one had a vested interest.
He hesitated there for several seconds, gloved hand glued to the cool metal of the gate. For a moment, he thought he might not be able to remove his hand. Danny touched his shoulder, breaking the spell, and James was able to withdraw. He walked between the others and stopped just before the trail began to descend and curve. He turned and faced them all.
“Today’s the day,” James said at last, his voice devoid of the hesitation he had a moment ago. “There’s a few things I want to remind everyone. First, we’re to go with the assumption that both Fort Carson and Colorado Springs have fallen to a threat of some capacity, that foxface is out and about and fully aware of our presence, and that there are other hostile people here. We know a horde passed through, we know Fort Carson was vulnerable to it, and we know walkers are probably sticking around like flies. Keep your guns ready, but absolutely do not fire them. Gunshots are just gonna draw unwanted attention, whether it’s the dead or the living.”
James drew his knife in demonstration. Then, on impulse, he approached largest tree lining the path and carved his initials into the bark before returning his knife to his sheath and descending the path. One by one, the others repeated his action before following down after him. Cut into the bark were ten initials: J.W., M.E., D.F., D.S., T.S., J.S, S.L., A.L., K.W., and lastly, V.. The gate was latched, the door to the cabin had been closed. Only Adam’s charred corpse remained, buried in a shady spot of lawn within the run, his final account stored reverently in James’s backpack.
Thin clouds were suspended low on the horizon in every direction. The sun was perched above the clouds to the far east, slowly extinguishing the darkness in the west. After a while, the group returned to the road and resumed their northward bearing. They walked for some time. It grew hotter as the sun rose higher. Light brightly shimmered off the tarmac while waves of heat danced and pools of watery mirages filled the distant stretch of road ahead. The stench grew worse. Abandoned cars, which were towed to the side of the road, became more frequent until there were two rows of cars lining each shoulder, their windows clouded with dust and grime. Clumps of rotten flesh which had fell or slid off their undead owners in the heat and several heat-baked luckers fried to tarmac—all evidence of the horde’s passage—were ever present, ever disgusting. Kurt, Violet, and Maria lost their breakfasts, then Danny did, too, after a lurker peeled most of itself off the tarmac to make a fruitless grap for him. After that, they trudged on, reeling from occasional bouts of nausea but maintaining pace and vigilance. They walked single-file, in silence, and onward.
The smell of festering meat thickened like diseased blood. The air buzzed with flies. The group blinked away and swat at the insects that sought water from their eyes. Beads of sweat stood out on their flesh, caused by the hotness and by the stain of internalizing their nausea. Reaching the crest of a rise in the road, in the shimmering of heat playing off the blacktop, they saw it. Upon sight of it, Kurt, Tom, Danny, Asher, Sasha, and Maria doubled over and externalized their nausea in several globs of mucus, followed by a lot of dry retching. The others all choked back gags but otherwise remained upright, staring, as transfixed as they were disgusted.
About two hundred feet down the road, the horde was visible, dropping out of sight down the hills to the east, rising up then out of sight behind the embankment to the west. Both long rows of vehicles stretched ever onward into its stinking, shifting, groaning ranks. Presumably, the rows of vehicles continued well past the point where the elevation of the land changed and obscured their line of sight. The cars and trucks and vans were smeared on the sides by rotting matter. The smell of it, even at such a distance, was like having piece of rotten meat forcefully held under your tongue.
From behind his clenched fist, which was held over his mouth, Domenick whispered, “Fuck my day.”
Jerry gagged in agreement, trying to be helpful by holding Sasha’s hair as she expelled mucus and what little water she had consumed. “This is the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen or smelt,” he managed, but at the cost of his own composure. He joined the others—both hands on his knees, letting go of Sasha’s hair—and expelled the contents of his stomach. Sasha stood, shivering sickly, and patted his back.
“Well, chief?” Domenick asked, turning to look at James as James visibly turned red trying to maintain control of his stomach.
“Let’s find out if going around is a viable option,” James said from behind his wrist.
Domenick nodded, drew his machete while maintaining a cautious hold on the grip of his assault rifle, and descended the righthand lip of the road and vanished between two stalled cars. When he returned several minutes later, he was red with anger and frustration. “What’s ahead of us isn’t the damn start of the thing. It wraps back the way we came, stretches east as far as I can see. There’s a fine chance it covers the whole southside of Colorado Springs.” They were approaching from the south. He spat. “This is the end of the line. It’s as far as we go.”
James said nothing. He walked off to the one of the stalled cars, climbed onto its hood, then jumped the narrow gap to the next vehicle. He looked back at Domenick, frowning. “Thoughts?”
“I think you’re batshit,” Domenick said. The nearest, most composed members of the group began to take notice of their conversation.
“I have to know what’s left,” James said softly, so softly his words were almost drown out by the horde. Domenick had to step closer to hear him as he went on. “Take the others back to the radio station. I’m going on alone.”
“It’ll be the death of you,” Domenick said. By his voice alone, one would think he didn’t care particularly much what happened, but his was expression was set, his eyes a little violent. His tone had become confrontational. “Get off the car, James.”
James raised his voice, drawing the others’ attention to the conversation. They turned and looked up at him as they struggled to hold the sickness back. James said, his voice powerful if a little unsteady, “In case you missed it, this fox fuckeroo carved me up and used my equipment to strike at my home and my friends. He’s here. He’s out here somewhere. I’m gonna find him. I’m gonna tie him down.” He touched the butt of his pistol. “And I’m gonna give an .22 caliber enema.”
“That’s a wonderfully image, and I would love to be there for it, but look around,” Domenick said, gesturing. “He probably killed himself bringing the horde here. This shit ain’t controllable. Nor is it predictable.”
“I seriously doubt he’s dead,” James said, glowering for a moment. He shook his head then, blowing off some steam. When he spoke again, he sounded less irrational, like was less clouded. “Look, I’m not asking anyone to follow me. In fact, I don’t want anyone to try. I’m going on alone. Dom, please, take them back to the radio station.”
“Alright.” Domenick sheathed his machete and turned partially, looking at James from the corner of his eye, his back toward him. “I’ve said my peace. You’re obviously suicidal, but I’m not your babysitter.”
James hopped to the next car and Domenick cursed and turned toward him again. He watched him draw closer to the horde. He couldn’t bring himself to feel satisfied at the fact that no one was following after him. Everyone was watching now, but no one said anything, perhaps in disbelief that their leader had just left them. James was within eight cars of the horde—which was taking a greater interest in him—when he looked back, his expression set into a frown, and waved goodbye.
Post-part notes:
To adapt the first line from this part, this is the beginning of the end of chapter 15. There are several more parts left in this chapter—I've been able to do a lot more set-up for the chapter finale than I originally anticipated. There's gonna be some point of view shifting as the end draws near. Take for example the next part—that will come out tomorrow and will feature a choice—which will center briefly on Domenick. From there, several other prominent members from the expedition will carry brief segments of the chapter finale. There's one other thing I wanted to mention. There were a lot of unpleasant descriptions in this part centering on the horde. Just as a fair warning, I want to say it's going to get more unpleasant and gross. I've been a fan of graphic character death, myself. But these characters aren't in a pleasant situation. It's a violent, gross, chaotic situation. What I'm saying is, I'll try to hold some punches in a descriptive sense, but at its base nature this chapter finale isn't going to be pretty. Choices have been made, and choices will be made, and I won't contrive ways to unseal fates. This chapter (and act, I just realized) finale is going to be a doozy.
What I've read recently:
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons: I actually really liked this one. It's probably my second or third favorite novel by the author. It's a long, 900-page horror epic in a similar vein to The Stand, but without any apocalyptic themes. When you get down to it, it's sort of a reimagining of the vampire mythos. There aren't any bloodsucking, however. Here, there are human psychics who derive pleasure from mind controlling people, making them commit violence and experiencing it vicariously. They're the villains of this story, but given the epic tone of the novel, a lot of pages are commanded by freaking despicable people. The antagonists are morally bankrupt and commit acts of murder and rape, and the latter is depicted really graphically, so fair warning. The novel itself is of a very uncomfortable nature, as its depiction of mind control is referred to, really accurately, as mind rape—the passages describing having your mind invaded are hollowing. Anyway, at large, it's about a Jewish man who is mind raped by a "mind vampire" while in a death camp during World War II and, afterward, devouts his life to try to kill the man who mind controlled him. This novel is super long and slow-building, but it's also incredibly unpredictable and encompasses many themes, such as horror, action, possibly political thriller(?), gang warfare. Unfortunately, it's difficult to recommend due to the graphicness. But it's very original—the only instance of immoral psychics I've seen was in the Marvel/Netflix show Jessica Jones, which was based on a comic, which I think released sometime in the 2000s. This novel came out in the late 80s.
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy: I finally got around to reading this one! I liked it a lot more than All the Pretty Horses and The Road, possibly due to just how relentless it was. Restating what others have said, this is definitely Cormac McCarthy's most accessible novels. If you haven't read Cormac McCarthy, this is probably a good way to start.
You know, I said it before, but I really have a bad feeling with this and I can't help it, but I think James did a severe mistake here. Leaving the others, I think this will lead to problems and either he or the ones he left behind will have to pay the price for it. Your post-part note seems to hint at something seriously important coming up for Domenick, so I could see him having to make a life-or-death choice. We had no death in this chapter so far, despite the dangerous situation and as much as I want to avoid it, I feel like there will be some pretty soon and it will probably be crushing. I see big things on the horizon for the finale and as much as I hate to say it, I'd be honestly surprised if they'd all make it through. And if there will be a death in the coming parts, I am pretty sure that James' decision here will play a role in it. That super gross horde is probably also playing a role in it, as is Foxy the Mask. I am just not sure if it'll be James who is going to face him or the rest of the group. In any way, I'm having the bad feeling that he already knows they are there.
Now, onwards to more positive things. I found it quite interesting to see the initials of the characters there. I know Domenick and Tom's last name is Salvatoriello, even if they currently don't have it in the list, while James has something with W. Wilson? Am I remembering it correctly? But what I truly found interesting was K.W. So... his last name is Wagner, isn't it? Hehe, I like this a lot And I noticed that Violet hasn't written her last initial down. Maybe I interpret too much into it, but it could be another hint at the severe problems she is facing. After all of the things her complete monster of a brother did, perhaps she doesn't want to be associated with him anymore, which can't be easy for her. I mean, exactly because of what said brother did to Josie and Anthony, I always found it hard to have sympathy for Violet, but at the same time, the way you're writing her makes it hard not to have sympathy for her, especially as I always had a bit of a weakness for such characters. Josie has been at the same dark place once, though she snapped out of it and became stronger than ever before, so maybe, if Violet gets through this, she can also become stronger than before, though that said, the current situation is by far the worst for such growth, as there are plenty of dangers she and the entire expedition group have to face soon.
Also, this novel you mention there, this Carrion Comfort, it sounds super interesting! For now, I still have some stuff on my list (including some more Gaiman novels, finally), but I'll add it and if I see it at my bookstore, I'll certainly buy it, thanks for the recommendation!
James, 15-05: The beginning of the end of their two-month expedition, the final stretch, began at six a.m. as the pre-dawn glow to the east … morewas just growing more substantial. Little sleep had been had beforehand. Wakeful due to a combination of anticipation and anxiety, they had inventoried their supplies, performed maintenance on their firearms, and applied ointment to the various open sores and blisters coating their abused feet, each catching interspersed winks of sleep throughout the dwindling hours of night. Gearing up, they gathered one by one in the cool respite of morning outside the chain link run, the air still permeated by the stench of the dead. Once they were all outside, James shut and latched the gate, thinking about Adam and feeling the same dissatisfaction one might experience from leaving the movie theater early or losing a book in which one had a vested interest.
He hesitated there for several seconds, gloved hand glued … [view original content]
James, 15-05: The beginning of the end of their two-month expedition, the final stretch, began at six a.m. as the pre-dawn glow to the east … morewas just growing more substantial. Little sleep had been had beforehand. Wakeful due to a combination of anticipation and anxiety, they had inventoried their supplies, performed maintenance on their firearms, and applied ointment to the various open sores and blisters coating their abused feet, each catching interspersed winks of sleep throughout the dwindling hours of night. Gearing up, they gathered one by one in the cool respite of morning outside the chain link run, the air still permeated by the stench of the dead. Once they were all outside, James shut and latched the gate, thinking about Adam and feeling the same dissatisfaction one might experience from leaving the movie theater early or losing a book in which one had a vested interest.
He hesitated there for several seconds, gloved hand glued … [view original content]
There's a bad moon on the rise, as the song goes. A super gross horde of unknown size and an elusive, murderous person who deigns to wear a fox mask are a handful. James's decision to continue onto Fort Carson alone will have ramifications. So will Domenick and the others' decision to not follow him. I'm happy say there will be more choices in the finale, some of which might improve the situation. The group's decision to stick together has been impactful, but we'll learn more of the impact it has caused in the next part. Once the next part is posted, I'll also probably be at liberty to say what that decision impacted.
Yes, that's Domenick and Tom's last name. I removed little amounts of information from the main post a while ago, I suppose, but I can't remember why I removed their last name, but I'll probably reinstate them. Kurt is actually Kurt Weber! His last name wasn't included in his submission (nor Danny's, for that matter), so just did a quick google a found a last name that would fit his nationality. Danny's is Francis (again, not specifically stated by the submitter, but I've decided his name is Daniel and he just goes exclusively by Danny ). I'll probably add both of those to the main post. As for Violet, she is a complicated character, much more complicated than Trevor. Her omission of her last name may, and likely does, stem from being ashamed of her brother, possibly her family as a whole. I'm interested in delving into her, as there's a lot beneath the surface.
I'm glad to hear the Carrion Comfort interests you! I hope it doesn't disappoint! And more Gaiman is always good! I actually just got his new book, Norse Mythology, that came out this month to read in lieu of my mythology class, which unfortunately discontinued before we could cover Norse mythology. So, I'm looking forward to reading that, but first... The Color of Magic came in
You know, I said it before, but I really have a bad feeling with this and I can't help it, but I think James did a severe mistake here. Leav… moreing the others, I think this will lead to problems and either he or the ones he left behind will have to pay the price for it. Your post-part note seems to hint at something seriously important coming up for Domenick, so I could see him having to make a life-or-death choice. We had no death in this chapter so far, despite the dangerous situation and as much as I want to avoid it, I feel like there will be some pretty soon and it will probably be crushing. I see big things on the horizon for the finale and as much as I hate to say it, I'd be honestly surprised if they'd all make it through. And if there will be a death in the coming parts, I am pretty sure that James' decision here will play a role in it. That super gross horde is probably also playing a role in it, as is Foxy the Mask. I am just not sure … [view original content]
Thank you for the submission! I like him a lot! I'll try to find a place for him!
The story has got quite a length. Now, I'm not particularly proud of the beginning myself, but trust me when I say it gets better as it progresses!
There's a bad moon on the rise, as the song goes. A super gross horde of unknown size and an elusive, murderous person who deigns to wear a fox mask are a handful. James's decision to continue onto Fort Carson alone will have ramifications. So will Domenick and the others' decision to not follow him. I'm happy say there will be more choices in the finale, some of which might improve the situation. The group's decision to stick together has been impactful, but we'll learn more of the impact it has caused in the next part. Once the next part is posted, I'll also probably be at liberty to say what that decision impacted.
I still think we did the better choice by sticking together. Smaller groups are a more easy prey for that fox-masked lunatic. However, this does seem to hint at very bad things for James in the future, now that he left all by himself. Given that he has the biggest connection to Foxy, I could see a confrontation between the two as one of the highlights of this chapter, maybe even something for the finale. That said, you have led the story into completely unexpected directions before, so I am a bit careful with speculation, especially since there's so much that is still unknown on the severity of their situation. One thing is for sure, the next parts will have me at the edge of my seat.
Kurt is actually Kurt Weber! His last name wasn't included in his submission (nor Danny's, for that matter), so just did a quick google a found a last name that would fit his nationality.
Weber! Damn it, he just turned from a badass blue mutant to a typical bavarian librarian I'm probably still going to call him Nightcrawler though, because the association is already too deeply rooted within me. But well, it is certainly cool to learn such details about him and about Danny as well.
As for Violet, she is a complicated character, much more complicated than Trevor. Her omission of her last name may, and likely does, stem from being ashamed of her brother, possibly her family as a whole. I'm interested in delving into her, as there's a lot beneath the surface.
You know, I really feel sorry for her, as much as I can feel sorry about Trevor's sister. I wonder if the former Harvest Hills group has made his actions public, but even then, I doubt he was a popular member among the group that was formerly led by Zafir, so with him gone and maybe people even knowing that he murdered several people, including one of their own, I can imagine that they turn their anger towards his sister. That said, I am surprised that she might be ashamed of her family as a whole, that implies that they have all been as shitty as Trevor. Though it would make sense if she goes as far as to more or less give up on her family name. Not something I disapprove of though, certainly not. Argh, I can't believe I'd ever say this, but I am curious about Violet's future.
I'm glad to hear the Carrion Comfort interests you! I hope it doesn't disappoint! And more Gaiman is always good! I actually just got his new book, Norse Mythology, that came out this month to read in lieu of my mythology class, which unfortunately discontinued before we could cover Norse mythology. So, I'm looking forward to reading that, but first... The Color of Magic came in
I wasn't aware that he has written a book on Norse Mythology. This sounds like a must read, although it isn't released here in germany yet. With the current size of my reading list, it is likely something I have to wait for until this summer, but I'll keep it in mind. When you have finished it, make sure to tell us about your opinion on it. And ah, I hope you enjoy the Color of Magic! A little note, it's actually the only Discworld novel that has a storyline that is not completed by the end of the book, so if you wish to have the complete story, The Light Fantastic is more or less required.
There's a bad moon on the rise, as the song goes. A super gross horde of unknown size and an elusive, murderous person who deigns to wear a … morefox mask are a handful. James's decision to continue onto Fort Carson alone will have ramifications. So will Domenick and the others' decision to not follow him. I'm happy say there will be more choices in the finale, some of which might improve the situation. The group's decision to stick together has been impactful, but we'll learn more of the impact it has caused in the next part. Once the next part is posted, I'll also probably be at liberty to say what that decision impacted.
Yes, that's Domenick and Tom's last name. I removed little amounts of information from the main post a while ago, I suppose, but I can't remember why I removed their last name, but I'll probably reinstate them. Kurt is actually Kurt Weber! His last name wasn't included in his submission (nor Danny's, for that matter), so just… [view original content]
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were left behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sentence. Instead, he studied Violet’s expression, which seemed oddly calm and impassive. He knew the stories of her brother and didn’t quite know what to make of her—she was something of an enigma, a reclusive and untalkative person. Finally, he nodded indifferently and repeated what she had said. “He’s going to die.” He added, “Violently and painfully, no doubt. Such is the fate of the stupid. Now, get a move on.”
Not long later, Kurt stopped walking. The others walked past him then stopped once they noticed he’d stopped. They all looked back at him. Softly, nervously tugging on the straps of his backpack, he said, “I’m going back.”
Domenick glowered at him. When Violet left the others and joined Kurt, Domenick transferred his glare to her. She met his eyes without flinching, blinking long, dark eyelashes against the assault of flies. Domenick turned, shrugged, and walked on. “Suit yourselves,” he called out behind him.
The others followed him, exchanging glances. After a while, Domenick looked back and saw Kurt and Violet jogging over a rise in the road and vanishing behind it. Now, it was just him, Tom, Asher, Jerry, Sasha, Maria, and Danny. Domenick looked at all of their expressions as they walked and saw they all, to varying degrees, looked discontent.
Given the placement of the sun, it was about eleven in the morning. They were all fumbling out their knives, keeping a hand on their firearms. Domenick had already drawn his machete and was intently watching what lay ahead. It was part of the horde, like an outstretched arm from the greater group to the east. It was probably three hundred feet away.
“Wait,” Domenick told his companions, not wanting any of them to shoot. He watched it shuffle across the highway in the distance. In terms of depth, it was no laughing matter; it covered about thirty feet of blacktop. Domenick looked to the west at the thick scrubs which blocked one’s line of sight. He had a terrible thought. “Actually,” he amended, “if we wanna get past this, we should run.”
They ran, following him, then stopped when he stopped after about seventy feet of hard sprinting. Walkers stumbled through the scrubs and down embankment to the west, linking with ones already on the highway. Domenick was suddenly very curious as to what this horde looked like from above. Like a storm on the weather report, maybe; it wasn’t one solid lump. They’d slipped into an opening without evening realizing it. An opening which was now closing. This was a new phenomenon to Domenick. Of course, he hadn’t seen a horde this large yet.
“Well?” Maria asked him. Domenick looked at her. Her tan skin was very pale—even in the growing heat as morning neared its turn to noon—and beaded with sweat. She, like the rest of the, looked like she was fighting nasuasa.
Domenick watched the horde that occupied the highway thicken in density with every few seconds. He said, “We can still break through. I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety, but I’d rather take my chances with this than go back into the heart of whatever the fuck this is.” He sat the dull side of his machete on his shoulder, moved a few steps further, stopped, and looked back to find they hadn’t moved. “Well? Every second’s a waste.”
Danny and Maria exchanged a glance. Then the young man received a nod from Asher. He sheathed his knife and took a step Domenick’s direction. Domenick could already tell he wasn’t moving to join him. Danny said, “If we’re in trouble either way, we should group up with the others again.”
Domenick laughed. It was thoroughly disturbing, completely devoid of humor, and thankfully only lasted a few seconds. Grimacing, he gestured down the road with his machete. “There is a lot less trouble this way, my friend.”
“The road back to the others is clear right now,” Danny said. “If we run, we can catch up to them. Besides, we’re closer to Fort Carson than we are to the station.”
Domenick said nothing. He didn’t even glower this time, just stared in bafflement. Danny hesitated, then turned and started off at a trot. Asher followed a moment later, then Maria said she was sorry and did the same. Domenick looked at Jerry and Sasha. The man shrugged, smiled glumly, and set off after the kids with Sasha. Domenick stood alone with Tom. He looked at the horde again and saw horde over the highway was thickening, spreading. He reevaluated his chances, looking back at his little brother and seeing that the man’s expression bore little confidence. He sighed a breath so cold and unfriendly that it could have frozen water. He concluded, regretfully, that it fighting way their way out was a long shot. But going back, following in James’s insane footsteps, had absolutely no appeal, possibly less, in his eyes.
[Break through and continue south, to the station.]
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were … moreleft behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sen… [view original content]
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
I say it because in all the groups that split, James is on his own, Kurt and Violet are only two people, and in the third group, I believe that the only really able-bodied people are Asher, Danny, and Sasha, which left Dom and Tom alone. So none of them are in the ideal position to be split apart.
In the case of the able bodies, I would say Maria, but there have been lines that make me question her overall health during this expedition. Sure, none of them are in good shape, but she's apparently been looking sick for a few days now, despite having time to recover from the heat and take care of her needs, so that's why I'm not considering her an able body. I think my reasoning for Jerry is quite cleae, because you really don't know what's going to set him off. He might seem recovered, but his head injury is still there.
I also think it's safer they do regroup in the case they run into that foxface freak.
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were … moreleft behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sen… [view original content]
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
I said it before and I'm going to stick with it, splitting up is a terrible thing to do. As much as I think Violet and Nightlibrarian were right in going after James, I think they are in the most danger now. James knows what to look for, he can probably hold his own in a fight against the Foxface, but these two? Kurt might be a bit of a fighter and if I remember correctly, he used to be a guard at Laredo, but Violet is, by all means, the character I have the least trust in when it comes to a fight. I'd be surprised if she manages to kill more than one walker at a time. Against Foxy, she is beyond chanceless and if my theory is right that he already knows about their presence, now would be a fitting time for him to strike, taking out the weak link of the group, as they split up and grow thinner.
The other group has Danny, Maria, Asher, Sasha and Jerry and imighthavebrokenit brought up a concerning though regarding Maria. Perhaps she's got some illness, or her body takes the lack of actual good supplies worse than the others. Jerry got a metal plate in his head and serious PSTD, Sasha is likely going to focus on recklessly protecting Jerry above all others, which really just leaves Danny and Asher to fight. Dom and Tom both seem like capable fighters, but even they might not make it on their own to the station and hell, even if they do, they are two people and therefore easy prey for that masked freak. By all means, they should try and catch up to the other five again and then they should hope that they manage to catch up to Violet and Nightweber before anything terrible is happening. But man, I have the growing fear that now that they are all split up, not all of the group are going to reunite. Ironically, the ones I am the most concerned of are the largest group, but I think Maria and Jerry might be the most physically weak characters at this point, save for maybe Violet, so I don't think my concern is unfounded. Argh, I am really anxious about the next parts
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were … moreleft behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sen… [view original content]
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were … moreleft behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sen… [view original content]
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were … moreleft behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sen… [view original content]
(!) Domenick will turn back and follow the others to Fort Carson
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others, and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do seem to recall mentioning at some point that she was having a particularly difficult time dealing with the conditions. Basically, everyone is feeling the same effects as her to varying degrees.
Recent reads:
The Tower of Swallows by Andrzej Sapkowski:The Tower of Swallows was probably the most confusing volume of the Witcher Saga I have read yet, mostly due to events being told out of order and the fact that there were, at times, multiple people recounting a single event. Most of the narrative is actually told through recollections. So, you would have two or three characters, at different places and different times, recollecting the same event to tell different aspects of it. I actually liked the use of this framing device most of the time, and my only real complaint with it is that it left me terribly confused as to the order of some events. Aside from that, I think this is my favorite volume of the Witcher yet. I especially enjoyed the focus on Ciri and, despite the fact it was a cliffhanger, I loved the ending portion of this book. Needless to say, I’m holding my breath for when the final volume, The Lady of the Lake, releases in March!
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett: My worries about starting at the beginning of such a large series have all been put to rest. The Color of Magic hit very well with me. I loved the characters and, albeit a bit random and unfocused at times, I loved the various scenarios. There was a cliffhanger, as Liquid pointed out, but it’s left me excited to read The Light Fantastic. I liked it so much, I really find it difficult to compare it to Guards! Guards!. Nor, if asked, could I pick a favorite between them. I can’t wait to read further into the series!
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny: I picked this short novel up on a whim a while back due to my interest in Fallout, excepting a dumb, action-packed, post-apocalyptic romp. And it totally is. It stars Hell Tanner, a despicable human being roped into driving a plague cure from LA to Boston, across a vast no-man's-land full of electrical storms and giant animals after a nuclear war has devastated the world. While my original assessment wasn't off at all, it was a lot better than I expected. Though there was virtually no character depth, I was surprised by how well-written the many encounters and oddities were. Plus, the action was pretty great. I seem to have stumbled across a rather prolific writer, this novel being one of his less regarded works. Apparently, Roger Zelazny has written a popular fantasy series called The Chronicles of Amber. I read the preview for it on Amazon, and it's piqued by interest.
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others, and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
This might be good, or maybe we did a very bad thing. I mean, a lot of my favourites are among the larger group and seeing them safely avoiding the horde would have been a good thing in my eyes. At the same time, if the Foxface is truly watching them, then I am sure he would have attacked the smaller group once thy would have been caught in the horde. One thing that interests me is Violet's wish to accompany them in such a case. I can't tell if she wants to prove herself and wants to prove that she's not like her brother, or if she's outright suicidal. With the way she's been acting, I wouldn't rule that out. I mean, going onto that expedition has looked a lot like a desperate move, to avoid the abuse she apparently faces in Laredo. She doesn't really have a lot to lose at this point.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do seem to recall mentioning at some point that she was having a particularly difficult time dealing with the conditions. Basically, everyone is feeling the same effects as her to varying degrees.
Oh, this makes sense. I now remember that you mentioned such a thing, though I kind of jumped to conclusions a bit too early. Well, this is a relief for sure. I was worried she might be sick on top of the harsh conditions the expedition has to face right now, which would surely be the worst possible time to get sick.
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett:
Ah, this is great that you enjoyed it! It's indeed one of the most random Discworld novels, coming from the time where Pratchett was still trying to find a direction for where he wishes to push the Discworld into, but at the same time, it is one of the most funny ones, due to this vastly different scenarios. If you enjoyed both, The Color of Magic and Guard! Guards!, I have no doubt that you are going to enjoy the rest of the series as well.
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny:
I haven't heard of this one before, but from what you have mentioned there, it sounds really interesting! I am certainly going to check it out somewhere, to see if this is truly something for me, but it sounds quite interesting from what you say there. I have heard about the Chronicles of Amber though, but I haven't been sure if it's truly a series I'd enjoy to read. If you decide to give it a try, then let us know about your opinion on it, that would certainly be interesting for me!
Voting is Closed!
(!) Domenick will turn back and follow the others to Fort Carson
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others,… more and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do… [view original content]
About the Chronicles of Amber series, I also read the description for it on Amazon and it does sound very interesting. It is apparently one of the inspirations George R. R. Martin used to make Game of Thrones. Robert Kirkman is planning to do a TV series of The Chronicles of Amber, if you guys decide that you want to watch some of it before deciding if you want to read the series.
Voting is Closed!
(!) Domenick will turn back and follow the others to Fort Carson
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others,… more and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do… [view original content]
Damn, I missed a lot here and in Silicon. Sorry for not commenting for so long. Everytime it looks like I get a break, new stuff comes up and prevents me from reading. But I will always come back, no way I give up on reading this and the other stories here. I loved the new parts, maybe I can make it to the next voting in the time
I almost forgot , happy second anniversary! Its so cool that this story goes on for 2 years and I hope there will be many more!
Voting is Closed!
(!) Domenick will turn back and follow the others to Fort Carson
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others,… more and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do… [view original content]
Maria, 15-07: As the situation worsened, Maria wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong choice in heading back toward Fort Carson with Danny and Asher. Walkers were emerging ahead of them, behind them, and right next to them from the scrubs on the western embankment, snarling at them as the three of them sprinted single-file down the highway. The country out to the east was no good any longer either; they could see the wave of horde cresting a hill out that way. Maria didn’t want to think what would happen to them if the two fronts converged with them in between, but she thought about it anyway, and the sheer terror it instilled caused her to quicken her pace. Danny and Asher must have been of the same mind because upon seeing the horde rising over the hill because they sped up as well. Ahead of them, the highway was clear and open, and they could run straight with no obstruction, but walkers were about to fill their path.
They were fortunate because the rows of stalled vehicles roughly functioned as barriers, putting a limitation on the number of walkers able to pass through at once. At the moment, the larger gaps allowed about four or five walkers through every few seconds. Maria, Asher, and Danny passed the walkers easily by hugging the concrete divider located between the two sides of the highway. Glancing at down it, Maria saw that there were two dividers lined close together, that it was possible for someone to crawl into the gap running between the two.
Maria focused again on running fast and not tripping. Besides feeling mildly feverish as the sun neared its noon position, she felt horrible due to a combination of sleep deprivation, malnourishment, and an ongoing assault on her senses. The horde—already an affront for one’s eyes—conjured such a disgusting smell that she actively gagged. She had difficulty keeping that from hindering her pace.
There was a sound, like a shrill, distant whistle. It was one constant note, which grew louder and was undertoned by the sound of tearing metal. Before she tripped, Maria looked straight up and saw—far, far up in the sky—an airborne piece of wreckage flying and emanating a thick trail of black smoke, then (from her perspective) the road suddenly tipped up and she ran flat into it.
Before either Danny or Asher had time to come to a full stop, and before she could push herself off the ground, a hand snatched Maria’s upper arm in a vise grip and dragged her to her feet. Her legs, thankfully, acted clumsily but automatically as she regained her balance, her bearings, then her pace.
Maria looked at her helper and was not at all surprised to see Sasha pulling her along with an unrelenting grip. Danny and Asher had resumed running, casting glances backward to make sure they were still in tow. Jerry followed at the rear, rifle swinging in his arms as he ran. Maria noticed he was also looking at their wake nervously.
“I don’t see them!” he shouted, over their panting and the roar of the horde, to Sasha. He was referring to Domenick and Tom.
“Perhaps, Dear,” Sasha said through teeth gritted with exertion, “they aren’t coming.”
“I doubt they would try that,” Jerry panted. “They aren’t stupid.”
Sasha snapped, “You overestimate their intelligence. Now—” with a horrible, menacing undertone, she said, “—run.”
For added emphasis, Sasha increased her pace until she was at the others’ heel, dragging Maria with her. Maria, still dazed by her fall, asked, without taking her eyes off the road, “Did anyone else see that? In the sky?”
She received a few vaguely affirmative grunts from those behind and ahead of her and from the one applying torture to her upper arm, and got a solitary “I think?” from Danny.
“What the hell was it?” Maria asked, struggling for breath, feeling the ebb of her adrenaline.
“A plane?” Asher ventured.
Danny risked a glance away from the road—not in anyway having to strain his neck to loop up, because the aircraft or object was much further past them and much lower—and emitted a sort of low groan of displeasure at the sight of it.
“Might be a plane,” Jerry shouted in agreement, catching a look at the aircraft himself. “Eitherway, the poor schmuck is boned.”
They all tried to simultaneously watch the road, the horde which continued to press closer from their left, and the diminishing object. And just like that, the aircraft vanished from their line of sight behind the horizon, the only evidence of its passage a dissipating cloud of smoke.
“Alright, then,” Asher said, slowing down slightly and brandishing his knife. “Back… to the present... issue,” he managed, gesturing at the rows of cars near them. “Cars,” he wheezed vaguely.
They all slowed down, but continued to move forward, not stopping. Sasha let go of Maria’s arm, fumed a breath that seemed to consist more of anger than exhaustion, reluctantly nodded, and gasped, “I hope... James is alive.”
“Same,” Danny agreed.
“I really... want to be the one who kills him.”
“Oh.”
“This looks as good a spot... as any,” Asher panted, pointing with his blade at a pair of cars. The gap between this particular pair was clogged by the horde. The path it created was nothing grand, and between them and it were still a bunch of ambling walkers, but, comparatively, it was probably the best opening they were going to find.
Asher pulled himself together and joined Danny at the front again. They never stopped moving. Together, at a more cautious pace, they sort of veered away from the center barrier with their various blades drawn, ready to slash at anything that got within arm’s reach.
Behind them, Jerry stabbed a walker through its eye socket to the tune of squishy noises and fragmenting bone. Ahead, Asher slashed through the neck of another in their path with his large knife, mostly severing the walker’s head save for its spine and a few persistent ligaments. This evidently befuddled what remained of the walker’s motor functions, as it stumbled backward into the oncoming horde with its still-snarling head dangling at its back.
When a walker got within his comfort zone, Danny struck wildly at it with his knife. His strike went hit high, slicing across the walker’s forehead. He didn’t pause to strike again, and he hurried away from the encounter, pretending he hadn’t seen the walker’s face peel halfway down and reveal a carpet of maggots. Maria mutilated rotten fingers and wrists and forearms as an automatic reaction to limbs prodding at her. Sasha did the same, cutting with such diligence that it seemed to say she had a vendetta with each and every one of them.
The cars were reached quickly. Asher and Danny worked with diminishing strength to maintain a clear area right beside the car, but the horde was pushing rapidly closer on either side of them, and the way they had come had already closed. The walkers stuck between the two vehicles grabbed furtively at them but were out of reach. With Asher and Danny on either side of them, Sasha helped Maria onto the trunk, then Jerry. Maria moved to the hood while Jerry pulled up Sasha, then they both grabbed Danny by an upper arm, who gasped in pain as he was pulled onto the trunk then dragged up onto the roof.
Below them, several walkers got between Asher and the car. A dozen hands closed in on him like entwining fingers, and the young man struggled as his jacket became locked in the frail yet unrelenting grip of walkers. Asher screamed. Those above him—who were fumbling out their firearms—could not identify where he’d been attacked for all the limbs and heads and torsos merging on him. In truth, as other walkers tried in vain to bite through leather, one particularly crafty walker had snatched and bitten down hard on his gloved forefinger. In a surge of newfound adrenaline, a reiterated fear of a nasty death, and a blind fury of elbows, fists, knees, and shoulders, Asher broke free of the undead crowd, huddled into the few blocking his path, and clambered onto the trunk. From where he kneeled on the roof, breathlessly watching the ordeal, Jerry holstered his pistol, grabbed Asher—who sat in a daze, searching his glove for a sign of penetration which was not there—under the armpit, and pulled him away from the reach of probing hands.
Maria felt a sudden surge of vertigo while standing on the hood of the car. The car rocked beneath her. She looked long at the walkers snatching at her from gap between vehicles, backed up until the heel of her boots touched the windshield, pounded down the three foot expanse of hood, and leapt. She landed, albeit ungracefully, on the trunk of the next vehicle. Though he was grimacing from the pain in his calf, Danny did not limp as he repeated what Maria had done and found himself where Maria had been a moment before she had scrambled onto the roof. They both moved up, allowing room for the others who arrived without issue.
The vehicle they were all on rocked violently, so they didn’t waste any time moving up, and they spread out a bit more. The dead were all around. Those closest snarled and clambered against their fellow corpses to reach for the survivors on the cars, while those further away ambled closer to see what all the commotion was about, and while those furthest away—beyond the boundaries of the highway and blissfully unaware of the living presence—slowly churned and flowed like an obscene sea.
To be continued...
Notes:
I'm surprised by how much this finale keeps growing! Though in truth there isn't much left to go over, it has already far exceeded the length I was expecting and may be largest chapter in Act 3, or at least among the longest. I mentioned just a little bit ago in a update to Silicon County that I'm setting some goals to speed up the wait time between parts and such—and to conpensate for a possible long absense in April if I do vacation up north—by consistently devoting more time to writing. The exact same thing applies to Monument. I'm confident Act 3 will conclude before the end of the month and I'm hoping I can get Act 4 going before that time as well, but there is the interlude to contend with, so we'll have to see. At the moment, I'm having a great time writing and I can't wait to share some of the things in store in both stories! :^D
Recent reads:
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett: I don’t know about you guys, but I usually have difficulty starting a new author, and I guess it can take me awhile to get used to certain writing styles. To me, this seems to manifest as getting lost in the paragraphs at times or just sort of having my reading speed drastically slowed down. I’m saying this because I think I’ve passed whatever threshold there is, because The Light Fantastic was a much easier read. Narrative wise, I think it might be my favorite, while I’m starting to think I've found Guards! Guards! to be the funniest. I can’t wait to get into Equal Rites, and I especially can’t wait to read Mort. And further down the line, I’m looking forward to rereading Guards! Guards! now that I’m getting acquainted and am becoming acclimated to Terry Pratchett’s writing!
Endymion by Dan Simmons: Some context: The Hyperion Cantos is science fiction—bordering at times on space opera and fantasy—set in the far future of human society written by Dan Simmons. The first book in the series, Hyperion, uses a Canterbury Tales-style framing device to build the world and introduce you to seven pilgrims who are on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs located on the planet Hyperion while the galaxy hangs on the brink depending on what occurs there. Each pilgrim has a tie to Hyperion. To fill the time as they travel, get to know each other, and learn just why they're there, they tell each other their tales, which encompass a wide variety of themes and genres pertaining to sci-fi. The Fall of Hyperion, the second book in the series and my favorite novel at the moment, is basically the second half of the pilgrim’s story and, mostly, the concludes it. I just can’t go without mentioning the Shrike, my absolute favorite fictional monster/creature. It’s on the cover, if you’re interested in seeing an interpretation of it, but the artwork just can’t do justice to how terrifyingly and effectively it’s described in pose.
Endymion is the third book of the series—set almost three centuries after the last—and the first half of a new storyline, which is concluded in The Rise of Endymion and which I haven’t read yet. I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can summarize the plot very well, but I found the characters engaging, the new world-building intriguing, and the more linear storytelling a nice change of pace despite enjoying the complexities of the earlier books. I found just about nothing to dislike, which is very surprising considering how much of a mix reception this book receives online. I should say the things I listed as having liked were thoroughly disliked by others, so it’s a pretty subjective experience. I suspect its flaws will probably become more obvious once I read its conclusion, but I can say I liked Endymion about as much as the previous entries in the series, but maybe only a little less overall, but that still places it among my favorite books!
Whoa... this was a super intense part and undoubtedly my favourite from this chapter so far. If I remember correctly, it actually was the first time we saw things from Maria's perspective, which I enjoyed a lot.
First of all, I can't decide who was more awesome in this part, Sasha or Asher. Both were not only badass, I also loved their sarcasm here. At the same time, I was really afraid that Asher and later Danny have been bitten during this walker struggle, though it seems they both got away narrowly. I wonder if Violet and Kurt got into the same trouble and if so, then their chances of survival are actually kinda worse. The same goes for Domenick and Tom to be honest and I start to believe they might be kinda screwed. I mean, just imagine what happens if Foxy attacks them in such an already tense situation. I feel like this chapter won't have a happy ending. To be fair, I am surprised everyone got that far already, as I am pretty sure that splitting up was a horrible thing to do, which only made it easier for walkers and Foxface to get an advantage over them.
And then there is this plane Maria saw. Or helicopter maybe. Whatever it was, it was something I did not expect. I mean, flying stuff is rare in the apocalypse in general, so a functioning plane is already a small miracle. But a plane that crashed just now, that's something else. I am super intrigued what that was, why it crashed and if there are any survivors, even if I doubt that last part. I guess mabye a later part in this chapter will reveal the answers to these questions.
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett:
Ah, you got another of my favourites. Out of the ones you have read so far, I also consider The Light Fantastic to be the one with the best narrative, especially due to it directly connection to the events of The Colour of Magic. But well, later novels only increase on that. Just wait until you get to Monstrous Regiment Really glad to hear you enjoyed the novel! Equal Rites should be a good read as well (even if it is the Discworld novel that the least of a lasting impression on me) and Mort is indeed something to look forward for.
Endymion by Dan Simmons:
This is another novel I was not aware of so far. I have heard of Dan Simmons before, but can't say I am acquainted with his writing. I am quite interested in this one, now that you have praised it so highly and your explanation here sounds like it is something I absolutely should check out! Damn, you're making my reading list longer than I wanted it to be and I am oddly okay with that Save to say, I will check this one out, it sounds like something that is worth a read.
Maria, 15-07: As the situation worsened, Maria wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong choice in heading back toward Fort Carson with Danny a… morend Asher. Walkers were emerging ahead of them, behind them, and right next to them from the scrubs on the western embankment, snarling at them as the three of them sprinted single-file down the highway. The country out to the east was no good any longer either; they could see the wave of horde cresting a hill out that way. Maria didn’t want to think what would happen to them if the two fronts converged with them in between, but she thought about it anyway, and the sheer terror it instilled caused her to quicken her pace. Danny and Asher must have been of the same mind because upon seeing the horde rising over the hill because they sped up as well. Ahead of them, the highway was clear and open, and they could run straight with no obstruction, but walkers were about to fill their path.
They were fortunat… [view original content]
Whoa... this was a super intense part and undoubtedly my favourite from this chapter so far. If I remember correctly, it actually was the first time we saw things from Maria's perspective, which I enjoyed a lot.
I glad you liked it! Maria might have had a little segment in chapter 10 while she and Danny were checking out her uncle's house and discovered Asher (and the wonderful mutt Mutt) had taken up residence, or, as is more likely, I'm misremembering and it was Danny who commanded that segment. Regardless, I remember well that she had a brief segment in Christmas special!
First of all, I can't decide who was more awesome in this part, Sasha or Asher. Both were not only badass, I also loved their sarcasm here. At the same time, I was really afraid that Asher and later Danny have been bitten during this walker struggle, though it seems they both got away narrowly. I wonder if Violet and Kurt got into the same trouble and if so, then their chances of survival are actually kinda worse. The same goes for Domenick and Tom to be honest and I start to believe they might be kinda screwed. I mean, just imagine what happens if Foxy attacks them in such an already tense situation. I feel like this chapter won't have a happy ending. To be fair, I am surprised everyone got that far already, as I am pretty sure that splitting up was a horrible thing to do, which only made it easier for walkers and Foxface to get an advantage over them.
Sasha's special move is Sarcastic Ferocity and Asher's special move is Tornado of Limbs, playable during moments which could end very badly. :^P There aren't many parts left, but I know we'll catch a moment to check up on Danny and the others with him. And not all hope is lost for Domenick and Tom, who still have an avenue of escape from the horde which was very briefly mentioned during Maria's part. I'm thinking the last part will have several segments from several points of view to good picture of what's going down. In terms of events needing to unfold, there's still some more ground to cover.
And then there is this plane Maria saw. Or helicopter maybe. Whatever it was, it was something I did not expect. I mean, flying stuff is rare in the apocalypse in general, so a functioning plane is already a small miracle. But a plane that crashed just now, that's something else. I am super intrigued what that was, why it crashed and if there are any survivors, even if I doubt that last part. I guess mabye a later part in this chapter will reveal the answers to these questions.
Whatever this flying hunk of metal is, there's bound to be a... hmm... hunk involved? I guess we'll have to see. Unfortunately, we probably won't get the opportunity to learn about this hunk until chapter 17 or so. There's some good to this, though. I'll just go out and confirm that the reason for this is because I'm planning to delegate the Colorado portions of chapter 16 to flashbacks centering on the fall of Colorado Springs. Tales-from-Telltale, if he doesn't mind me saying, actually submitted the characters who will populate these flashback segments. I really can't wait to get to start writing those!
Ah, you got another of my favourites. Out of the ones you have read so far, I also consider The Light Fantastic to be the one with the best narrative, especially due to it directly connection to the events of The Colour of Magic. But well, later novels only increase on that. Just wait until you get to Monstrous Regiment Really glad to hear you enjoyed the novel! Equal Rites should be a good read as well (even if it is the Discworld novel that the least of a lasting impression on me) and Mort is indeed something to look forward for.
The Light Fantastic definitely benefited from having established characters. With that in mind, I'm even more excited to read further into the different plotlines, especially the Watch stuff! Regardless of its lasting impression, I'm sure I'll enjoy Equal Rites! And I'm indeed looking more forward to Mort after each Death cameo! He's probably my favorite character out of the books so far!
This is another novel I was not aware of so far. I have heard of Dan Simmons before, but can't say I am acquainted with his writing. I am quite interested in this one, now that you have praised it so highly and your explanation here sounds like it is something I absolutely should check out! Damn, you're making my reading list longer than I wanted it to be and I am oddly okay with that Save to say, I will check this one out, it sounds like something that is worth a read.
I just want to make absolutely certain that you understand that Endymion can be completely avoided for the time being. When you get around to it, you'll want to read Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion back-to-back, or at least within several months of each other (bearing in mind that Hyperion ends in a complete cliffhanger and that the high and climax at the end of that book don't continue into its sequal—things have to build again in The Fall of Hyperion, so it starts slow). It's probably a good idea actually to put off reading the Endymion books for a while after finishing the first have of the Cantos. Dan Simmons is my favorite author, as I think I've mentioned, and I really hope you enjoy his work once you get the chance to read him!
Whoa... this was a super intense part and undoubtedly my favourite from this chapter so far. If I remember correctly, it actually was the fi… morerst time we saw things from Maria's perspective, which I enjoyed a lot.
First of all, I can't decide who was more awesome in this part, Sasha or Asher. Both were not only badass, I also loved their sarcasm here. At the same time, I was really afraid that Asher and later Danny have been bitten during this walker struggle, though it seems they both got away narrowly. I wonder if Violet and Kurt got into the same trouble and if so, then their chances of survival are actually kinda worse. The same goes for Domenick and Tom to be honest and I start to believe they might be kinda screwed. I mean, just imagine what happens if Foxy attacks them in such an already tense situation. I feel like this chapter won't have a happy ending. To be fair, I am surprised everyone got that far already, as I am pretty sure th… [view original content]
Maria, 15-07: As the situation worsened, Maria wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong choice in heading back toward Fort Carson with Danny a… morend Asher. Walkers were emerging ahead of them, behind them, and right next to them from the scrubs on the western embankment, snarling at them as the three of them sprinted single-file down the highway. The country out to the east was no good any longer either; they could see the wave of horde cresting a hill out that way. Maria didn’t want to think what would happen to them if the two fronts converged with them in between, but she thought about it anyway, and the sheer terror it instilled caused her to quicken her pace. Danny and Asher must have been of the same mind because upon seeing the horde rising over the hill because they sped up as well. Ahead of them, the highway was clear and open, and they could run straight with no obstruction, but walkers were about to fill their path.
They were fortunat… [view original content]
Whoa... this was a super intense part and undoubtedly my favourite from this chapter so far. If I remember correctly, it actually was the fi… morerst time we saw things from Maria's perspective, which I enjoyed a lot.
I glad you liked it! Maria might have had a little segment in chapter 10 while she and Danny were checking out her uncle's house and discovered Asher (and the wonderful mutt Mutt) had taken up residence, or, as is more likely, I'm misremembering and it was Danny who commanded that segment. Regardless, I remember well that she had a brief segment in Christmas special!
First of all, I can't decide who was more awesome in this part, Sasha or Asher. Both were not only badass, I also loved their sarcasm here. At the same time, I was really afraid that Asher and later Danny have been bitten during this walker struggle, though it seems they both got away narrowly. I wonder if Violet and Kurt got into the same trouble and if so,… [view original content]
I am super excited to read about my characters in the flashbacks, about the fall of Colorado Springs!
PS: I sent you a pm with a question regarding the flashbacks.
Maria, 15-07: As the situation worsened, Maria wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong choice in heading back toward Fort Carson with Danny a… morend Asher. Walkers were emerging ahead of them, behind them, and right next to them from the scrubs on the western embankment, snarling at them as the three of them sprinted single-file down the highway. The country out to the east was no good any longer either; they could see the wave of horde cresting a hill out that way. Maria didn’t want to think what would happen to them if the two fronts converged with them in between, but she thought about it anyway, and the sheer terror it instilled caused her to quicken her pace. Danny and Asher must have been of the same mind because upon seeing the horde rising over the hill because they sped up as well. Ahead of them, the highway was clear and open, and they could run straight with no obstruction, but walkers were about to fill their path.
They were fortunat… [view original content]
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny and Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them back in order once he was satisfied nothing had gotten through there. Jerry handed him back his jacket and Asher put it back on.
“That was close,” Jerry said at last, having to raise his voice to be heard over the horde. The worry on the man’s face had not diminished in the least.
Asher noticed. The young man swallowed nervously, attempting to dry a parched throat. He retrieved a water bottle from his backpack, gulped a few mouthfuls, then offered it to Jerry, who accepted it without a word and took a few sips before handing it back. He put it back in his backpack.
While Asher was shouldering his bag and rifle, Jerry told him, “Wait here. Maria will join you.” He added, his tone miserable, “Danny might have been bitten.”
The statement hit Asher like a well-aimed brick. He sat back down again, heavily. His throat became dry anew. Pale and clammy all of a sudden, Asher nodded unsteadily and waited as Jerry mounted the roof, indented the hood with the weight of his body and gear, and jumped to the next truck. A moment later, Maria crossed the treacherous gap and came to sit with him. She was very silent. Asher tried to comfort her, like a friend (who was unskilled in such matters) would, by gently patting her shoulder.
Jerry: A splitting headache had formed between their departure from the radio station and they first glimpse of the horde. The pain was like that of object—like a bullet or arrow—having fragmented in the soft tissue of his brain. Jerry tried hard to internalize the pain, tried not to scream of groan in pain and frustration, and, all the while, tried desperately to maintain control of their situation.
Without looking Jerry knew when Maria had crossed over to the truck behind them—he had felt the car shake distinctly, even amidst the rocking created by the horde, and had heard the hood crackle beneath her boots as she landed—but he looked back anyway, just for some visual confirmation that she’d made it, and saw her drop into the pickup bed and vanish. Still unsatisfied, he turned his attention and grimace to those still with him.
Sasha was kneeling on the opposite side of Danny as Jerry. Danny was sitting with his back the truck’s cabin and his legs sprawled out, looking hopeless and worried. The young man leaned forward and rolled up the left leg of his jeans to his knee, then he twisted his leg around to show them the back of his leg. On his calf were two crescent-shaped welts—one could see where the bite had penetrated his skin by three tiny oozings of blood, and there were with several smaller pinpricks of blood all along the surface of the welts.
Jerry cursed, as the headache seemed to amplify its wrath, but remembered himself, whose responsibility it was to keep himself and Danny calm for what might be coming. “It’s not too bad,” he reasoned truthfully. “Show us your pants leg. It’s possible to draw blood without breaking fabric.”
Danny unrolled the leg of his pants back over the bite mark, grimacing as denim touched the small wound, but careful to keep the particular area of denim in question from touching his wound again. He twisted it around to show to Jerry and Sasha, who both leaned in closer. The crescent-shapes were mirrored here in the form of residue—saliva, if you could call it that, from the walker—and small pinpricks of blood showing through where the fabric had been frayed. The fabric, frayed white, was the most obvious sign of the bite thanks to the dark shade of the denim itself.
“Roll it up again,” Jerry ordered. “I want to see the underside of your pants leg.”
Danny obeyed without a word. Once the ankle of his jeans reached his thigh he twisted around again to show them the lighter underside of his jeans. The blood, as little as there was, was much more obvious on this side. Jerry reached out and felt the bite mark along the contours of the denim, not caring if blood or “saliva” got on his probings fingers. Emotionally, Jerry felt like a some kind of metal box, perhaps a phone booth, which imploded a fraction each time his fingers came across a fraying in the fabric which might be an incision. Once he was finished, he came away looking like that phone booth: crushed.
The defeat Jerry was projecting only served to heighten Danny’s anxiety. “Well? How is it?” the young man implored, his voice unsteady, wavering like a nervous flame. The boy’s eyes were watering involuntarily.
“I don’t know,” Jerry whispered.
“Are going to have amputated?” Sasha asked.
“I don’t know!” Jerry snapped. His brain throbbed within his skull. He didn’t want to think how bad his headache would get once the screaming began… he didn’t want to about that at all. “It’s little more than a scratch. We could disinfect the wound and wrap a bandage around it, but that would be a risk. It’s that or...”
“I don’t think you have to amputate, fully, exactly,” Danny ventured. “Maybe…” He seemed to imagine what he was suggesting and stopped talking, nausea clouding his expression.
“We could remove a small chunk of your calf,” Sasha finished gloomily. She looked at Jerry, her eyes set in a hard stare. “If we do nothing, Danny might become infected. If we cut off his leg, he’ll probably die, given the present circumstances and our current location. If we act fast and removed only a little bit of his calf, we might be able to make the best the situation.” She was frowning. “I’ll help, whatever you choose.”
[Disinfect the wound, bandage it up, and focus on getting out of the horde.]
[Perform a full amputation of Danny's left leg below the knee.]
[Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
Oh my, you weren't kidding when you said that you wish to put out more parts in this month. At this speed, it seems we'll see the end of the chapter very soon. Considering my dark feelings for this end, I am looking forward for it, while simultaneously being quite afraid. And well, it seems like it's getting real already. I have seen Danny limping in the last part, though I forgot to comment on it. Now, well, now we got a problem.
[Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
You know, I don't know how much Sasha truly knows about medical stuff, so I am not sure if I can trust her opinion on Danny's condition. It's a shame Calvin is not there, he would know what to do. One thing is for sure, just disinfecting the wound is a death sentence for Danny, because his wound is infected. It's just a question how far this infection has spread. It would be safe to say that amputating his leg would prevent the infection from spreading, but I don't have to be a doctor to see that Sasha has a point with the dangers of cutting off his leg. I am sure they won't manage to stabilize him. Hell, the only leg amputation I know of is Hershel's in the show and he very nearly died despite stable surroundings and quick medical help in form of bandages. I am about 90% sure that Danny is going to die if we cut off his leg and I am not ready to risk this. So, the calf it is. One way or the other, even if he survives, this is likely to leave him permanently crippled, because I doubt they'll be able to leave enough of his foot or nerve tissue around the calf to allow him to walk without problems. But if it stops the infection, it will still leave him better off than if we just cut off his leg. Argh, this sounds like the best option, which makes me afraid that it is actually not the best. Bah, we gotta try it. Still better than doing nothing and it still gives him better chances than if we just chop off his leg entirely
God damn it, my heart breaks for Maria right now If Danny dies, this means that she has lost both of her love interests to the same circumstance, because this gives me very bad flashbacks to Christian's death. Back then, we hesitated too long and failed to prevent his death as a result. Maybe this time we can manage to save him? Though I am somewhat afraid that being bitten in the current situation is a death sentence regardless of wether or not we do something. This is going to be one hell of a tense situation in the next parts and I don't want to start imagening how she has to feel right now, after the whole Christian situation.
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny … moreand Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them bac… [view original content]
I believe that Danny is fucked no matter the choice. Cutting his leg off gives him the chance of bleeding out, Liquid mentioned nerve tissue and that is a concern with taking the calf itself, but leaving it alone is just asking for him to die.
I still haven't forgotten that the cannibals and that weirdo foxfreak are still around, so leaving a leg will get the cannibals on their trail.
So, I guess [Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
This whole situation reminds me of when Maria mentioned that Domenick was able to successfully amputate some guy's leg at Alpha. However, as much as we can hope for a Domenick ex-machina, I personally am not willing to risk it.
It also reminds me of what happened with Christian, of course.
Overall, it concerns me for the group in entirety. Danny could very well die, and if he does, I'm afraid for Maria's mental health and safety. At least Asher's trying, though.
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny … moreand Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them bac… [view original content]
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny … moreand Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them bac… [view original content]
[Perform a full amputation of Danny's left leg below the knee.] Can't afford to take chances. Best to do the hard thing and just get it over with. We have no idea how far the bite has spread by now so it's best to assume the worst and rip the band aid.
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny … moreand Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them bac… [view original content]
Comments
Sunshine and rainbows?
So... I am not sure if today is truly the day. I hate that you can't see the exact date of posts from previous years, as I now have to guess if I'm right. I know the story started somewhere between the 14th and the 20th of February in 2015, but I might not have hit the exact date. Maybe Hope knows a more precise one?
Anyways, let's just, for simplicities sake, say that I am roughly correct here. This means that today is most likely the day where Monument turns 2 years old! And what can I say, aside from Happy Birthday to my favourite story?
I can say quite a number, as it turns out. First of all, thank you, Hope, for writing this story for two whole years already. Many other stories are among my favourites, many gave me emotions, but none of them have moved me as genuinely as this masterpiece. There has been just about every kind of emotion over the course of the story, even though I have never been one to easily get moved by written things. Monument changed that. I have enjoyed every part, every scene, every moment of this wonderful story. There have been so many memorable things that will stick with me even long after this story has ended (at a point that is hopefully still far, far away) and I am so happy to celebrate this second birthday. May there be many more anniversaries to celebrate. For now, I, like probably everyone else here, is really looking forward for the next parts. The story has progesssively gotten better with every new part and that means quite something, when you consider how strong it already started. And nothing of this would have been possible if not for your dedication to writing this story. So, again, thank you. You created something wonderful here that has been going strong for two years now and I can't wait to learn what else you have planned for the future!
My reply is going to also serve as my addressal of the anniversary as well as some announcements. Hope you don't mind, Liquid! :P
According to the timestamps in the submission spreadsheet, the first character to be submitted (interestingly, this was James) was submitted on the 22nd. You were close! Six days isn't too far off! Although I haven't got anything special planned, this time the anniversary didn't sneak up on me. It's really crazy to think that I've been at this story for two years now, and come autumn, I would have been writing on this site for three years, which is absolute insanity. Obviously, it's time I consider well-spent. I simply would not have been writing if not for getting drawn into the interactive story scene, nor do I think I would have become such an avid reader. I know some day the practice and skills I'm actively acquiring here will be put to use on something, though I can't say for sure what that might be (though I do know what will follow once one of my active stories concludes). It's been an incredible privilege for you all to allow me to write, fail, succeed, but above all try and, in doing so, improve.
Monument to the Walking Dead has had a long time coming. It's unfortunate to say, but kinda goes without saying given how many chapters I set out to write in the beginning, that I didn't really have any idea where this was all going to. So I'm happy to announce I've got a tighter lid on things to come, and I've got plans for a climax, which brings San Antonio back into the light, the set-up for it will begin in act 4. Once act 3 ends, things are going to change, but moreso things will grow. Typically, Monument had one storyline with a point of view that moved around freely between the central characters. I don't plan to change. I merely plan to add to it. There will be multiple storylines—probably three—from chapter 16 onward, each with its own set of core characters, around which the POV will shift, possibly shifting between chapters. I've already segments of a interlude to air between the acts, but I actually thought about revising my plans a little. The many of the current main characters have been followed from quite early on in the apocalypse. So to sort of even the playing field in terms of development, I think I might revise the interlude into something similar to the 400 Days DLC from TWD S1 with some inspiration from the Javier's prologue in TWD S3 (I haven't really watched anything else of S3, but I found the scene to be really effective and would like to emulate it to a degree). My thinking is that, now that we're so far into the apocalypse, it's difficult to explain what was written in these characters' backstories without some potentially clunky dialogue or exposition. There will be one to several scenes for each character being featured, some set before, during, and after the virus. The goal of this will be smoothly drop some exposition as well as set up things for the new storylines. So, confirmation on that. Bringing the discussion back to Monument's anniversary, I'm sorry I don't have anything planned. All I can really offer is that the new part will be out before the actual date, and that it will be doozy. Only four paragraphs (of significant size, if I might add) are written. It's all pretty much the set for what's to come, but what that means is it's all up- (or very possibly down-) hill from here. I'll see you again soon!
It's so awesome how long this story's been going on. I came to this story late but it was so worth it to put my time into catching up. I really like the backstory idea as well!
The 22nd? Wow, I did not expect this. I thought it has started earlier than that and that I have been more close to it. Then again, it generally feels as if Monument has been around forever, with how dear it has become to me. Ah, I shall remember this date for the next anniversary. And I must say, it is interesting to hear that James has been the first character to be submitted. I know he has been on the character list for a while before being introduced in the story, but I did not expect this. In general, I am super excited for what's to come.
And multiple storylines sounds like a great thing. I guess it mostly means longer chapters and therefore more Monument, which means I fully and enthusiastically support this decison. Of course I am highly attached to the current group, but I am more than willing to give other groups and their storylines a chance as well and I have no doubt that I will enjoy them. This backstory idea is also a nice idea. That scene you have mentioned from Season 3, with Javi's prologue, is one of my favourites in the entire Walking Dead series, an incredibly well-done scene, so I can only imagine how awesome such a thing would be. So, go for it
James, 15-05: The beginning of the end of their two-month expedition, the final stretch, began at six a.m. as the pre-dawn glow to the east was just growing more substantial. Little sleep had been had beforehand. Wakeful due to a combination of anticipation and anxiety, they had inventoried their supplies, performed maintenance on their firearms, and applied ointment to the various open sores and blisters coating their abused feet, each catching interspersed winks of sleep throughout the dwindling hours of night. Gearing up, they gathered one by one in the cool respite of morning outside the chain link run, the air still permeated by the stench of the dead. Once they were all outside, James shut and latched the gate, thinking about Adam and feeling the same dissatisfaction one might experience from leaving the movie theater early or losing a book in which one had a vested interest.
He hesitated there for several seconds, gloved hand glued to the cool metal of the gate. For a moment, he thought he might not be able to remove his hand. Danny touched his shoulder, breaking the spell, and James was able to withdraw. He walked between the others and stopped just before the trail began to descend and curve. He turned and faced them all.
“Today’s the day,” James said at last, his voice devoid of the hesitation he had a moment ago. “There’s a few things I want to remind everyone. First, we’re to go with the assumption that both Fort Carson and Colorado Springs have fallen to a threat of some capacity, that foxface is out and about and fully aware of our presence, and that there are other hostile people here. We know a horde passed through, we know Fort Carson was vulnerable to it, and we know walkers are probably sticking around like flies. Keep your guns ready, but absolutely do not fire them. Gunshots are just gonna draw unwanted attention, whether it’s the dead or the living.”
James drew his knife in demonstration. Then, on impulse, he approached largest tree lining the path and carved his initials into the bark before returning his knife to his sheath and descending the path. One by one, the others repeated his action before following down after him. Cut into the bark were ten initials: J.W., M.E., D.F., D.S., T.S., J.S, S.L., A.L., K.W., and lastly, V.. The gate was latched, the door to the cabin had been closed. Only Adam’s charred corpse remained, buried in a shady spot of lawn within the run, his final account stored reverently in James’s backpack.
Thin clouds were suspended low on the horizon in every direction. The sun was perched above the clouds to the far east, slowly extinguishing the darkness in the west. After a while, the group returned to the road and resumed their northward bearing. They walked for some time. It grew hotter as the sun rose higher. Light brightly shimmered off the tarmac while waves of heat danced and pools of watery mirages filled the distant stretch of road ahead. The stench grew worse. Abandoned cars, which were towed to the side of the road, became more frequent until there were two rows of cars lining each shoulder, their windows clouded with dust and grime. Clumps of rotten flesh which had fell or slid off their undead owners in the heat and several heat-baked luckers fried to tarmac—all evidence of the horde’s passage—were ever present, ever disgusting. Kurt, Violet, and Maria lost their breakfasts, then Danny did, too, after a lurker peeled most of itself off the tarmac to make a fruitless grap for him. After that, they trudged on, reeling from occasional bouts of nausea but maintaining pace and vigilance. They walked single-file, in silence, and onward.
The smell of festering meat thickened like diseased blood. The air buzzed with flies. The group blinked away and swat at the insects that sought water from their eyes. Beads of sweat stood out on their flesh, caused by the hotness and by the stain of internalizing their nausea. Reaching the crest of a rise in the road, in the shimmering of heat playing off the blacktop, they saw it. Upon sight of it, Kurt, Tom, Danny, Asher, Sasha, and Maria doubled over and externalized their nausea in several globs of mucus, followed by a lot of dry retching. The others all choked back gags but otherwise remained upright, staring, as transfixed as they were disgusted.
About two hundred feet down the road, the horde was visible, dropping out of sight down the hills to the east, rising up then out of sight behind the embankment to the west. Both long rows of vehicles stretched ever onward into its stinking, shifting, groaning ranks. Presumably, the rows of vehicles continued well past the point where the elevation of the land changed and obscured their line of sight. The cars and trucks and vans were smeared on the sides by rotting matter. The smell of it, even at such a distance, was like having piece of rotten meat forcefully held under your tongue.
From behind his clenched fist, which was held over his mouth, Domenick whispered, “Fuck my day.”
Jerry gagged in agreement, trying to be helpful by holding Sasha’s hair as she expelled mucus and what little water she had consumed. “This is the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen or smelt,” he managed, but at the cost of his own composure. He joined the others—both hands on his knees, letting go of Sasha’s hair—and expelled the contents of his stomach. Sasha stood, shivering sickly, and patted his back.
“Well, chief?” Domenick asked, turning to look at James as James visibly turned red trying to maintain control of his stomach.
“Let’s find out if going around is a viable option,” James said from behind his wrist.
Domenick nodded, drew his machete while maintaining a cautious hold on the grip of his assault rifle, and descended the righthand lip of the road and vanished between two stalled cars. When he returned several minutes later, he was red with anger and frustration. “What’s ahead of us isn’t the damn start of the thing. It wraps back the way we came, stretches east as far as I can see. There’s a fine chance it covers the whole southside of Colorado Springs.” They were approaching from the south. He spat. “This is the end of the line. It’s as far as we go.”
James said nothing. He walked off to the one of the stalled cars, climbed onto its hood, then jumped the narrow gap to the next vehicle. He looked back at Domenick, frowning. “Thoughts?”
“I think you’re batshit,” Domenick said. The nearest, most composed members of the group began to take notice of their conversation.
“I have to know what’s left,” James said softly, so softly his words were almost drown out by the horde. Domenick had to step closer to hear him as he went on. “Take the others back to the radio station. I’m going on alone.”
“It’ll be the death of you,” Domenick said. By his voice alone, one would think he didn’t care particularly much what happened, but his was expression was set, his eyes a little violent. His tone had become confrontational. “Get off the car, James.”
James raised his voice, drawing the others’ attention to the conversation. They turned and looked up at him as they struggled to hold the sickness back. James said, his voice powerful if a little unsteady, “In case you missed it, this fox fuckeroo carved me up and used my equipment to strike at my home and my friends. He’s here. He’s out here somewhere. I’m gonna find him. I’m gonna tie him down.” He touched the butt of his pistol. “And I’m gonna give an .22 caliber enema.”
“That’s a wonderfully image, and I would love to be there for it, but look around,” Domenick said, gesturing. “He probably killed himself bringing the horde here. This shit ain’t controllable. Nor is it predictable.”
“I seriously doubt he’s dead,” James said, glowering for a moment. He shook his head then, blowing off some steam. When he spoke again, he sounded less irrational, like was less clouded. “Look, I’m not asking anyone to follow me. In fact, I don’t want anyone to try. I’m going on alone. Dom, please, take them back to the radio station.”
“Alright.” Domenick sheathed his machete and turned partially, looking at James from the corner of his eye, his back toward him. “I’ve said my peace. You’re obviously suicidal, but I’m not your babysitter.”
James hopped to the next car and Domenick cursed and turned toward him again. He watched him draw closer to the horde. He couldn’t bring himself to feel satisfied at the fact that no one was following after him. Everyone was watching now, but no one said anything, perhaps in disbelief that their leader had just left them. James was within eight cars of the horde—which was taking a greater interest in him—when he looked back, his expression set into a frown, and waved goodbye.
Post-part notes:
What I've read recently:
Am I too late to participate? Probably sounds like a dumb question, but this intrigues me.
Character submission is still open! You're welcomed to join!
You know, I said it before, but I really have a bad feeling with this and I can't help it, but I think James did a severe mistake here. Leaving the others, I think this will lead to problems and either he or the ones he left behind will have to pay the price for it. Your post-part note seems to hint at something seriously important coming up for Domenick, so I could see him having to make a life-or-death choice. We had no death in this chapter so far, despite the dangerous situation and as much as I want to avoid it, I feel like there will be some pretty soon and it will probably be crushing. I see big things on the horizon for the finale and as much as I hate to say it, I'd be honestly surprised if they'd all make it through. And if there will be a death in the coming parts, I am pretty sure that James' decision here will play a role in it. That super gross horde is probably also playing a role in it, as is Foxy the Mask. I am just not sure if it'll be James who is going to face him or the rest of the group. In any way, I'm having the bad feeling that he already knows they are there.
Now, onwards to more positive things. I found it quite interesting to see the initials of the characters there. I know Domenick and Tom's last name is Salvatoriello, even if they currently don't have it in the list, while James has something with W. Wilson? Am I remembering it correctly? But what I truly found interesting was K.W. So... his last name is Wagner, isn't it? Hehe, I like this a lot
And I noticed that Violet hasn't written her last initial down. Maybe I interpret too much into it, but it could be another hint at the severe problems she is facing. After all of the things her complete monster of a brother did, perhaps she doesn't want to be associated with him anymore, which can't be easy for her. I mean, exactly because of what said brother did to Josie and Anthony, I always found it hard to have sympathy for Violet, but at the same time, the way you're writing her makes it hard not to have sympathy for her, especially as I always had a bit of a weakness for such characters. Josie has been at the same dark place once, though she snapped out of it and became stronger than ever before, so maybe, if Violet gets through this, she can also become stronger than before, though that said, the current situation is by far the worst for such growth, as there are plenty of dangers she and the entire expedition group have to face soon.
Also, this novel you mention there, this Carrion Comfort, it sounds super interesting! For now, I still have some stuff on my list (including some more Gaiman novels, finally), but I'll add it and if I see it at my bookstore, I'll certainly buy it, thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks! Character submitted. Looking forward to reading more!
...I have a lot to catch up on.
Thank you for the submission! I like him a lot! I'll try to find a place for him!
The story has got quite a length. Now, I'm not particularly proud of the beginning myself, but trust me when I say it gets better as it progresses!
Really hoping that no one that I really like dies...
There's a bad moon on the rise, as the song goes. A super gross horde of unknown size and an elusive, murderous person who deigns to wear a fox mask are a handful. James's decision to continue onto Fort Carson alone will have ramifications. So will Domenick and the others' decision to not follow him. I'm happy say there will be more choices in the finale, some of which might improve the situation. The group's decision to stick together has been impactful, but we'll learn more of the impact it has caused in the next part. Once the next part is posted, I'll also probably be at liberty to say what that decision impacted.
Yes, that's Domenick and Tom's last name. I removed little amounts of information from the main post a while ago, I suppose, but I can't remember why I removed their last name, but I'll probably reinstate them. Kurt is actually Kurt Weber! His last name wasn't included in his submission (nor Danny's, for that matter), so just did a quick google a found a last name that would fit his nationality. Danny's is Francis (again, not specifically stated by the submitter, but I've decided his name is Daniel and he just goes exclusively by Danny ). I'll probably add both of those to the main post. As for Violet, she is a complicated character, much more complicated than Trevor. Her omission of her last name may, and likely does, stem from being ashamed of her brother, possibly her family as a whole. I'm interested in delving into her, as there's a lot beneath the surface.
I'm glad to hear the Carrion Comfort interests you! I hope it doesn't disappoint! And more Gaiman is always good! I actually just got his new book, Norse Mythology, that came out this month to read in lieu of my mythology class, which unfortunately discontinued before we could cover Norse mythology. So, I'm looking forward to reading that, but first... The Color of Magic came in
Unfortunately, there's no hope left.
ba dum tss
There's always hope!
I still think we did the better choice by sticking together. Smaller groups are a more easy prey for that fox-masked lunatic. However, this does seem to hint at very bad things for James in the future, now that he left all by himself. Given that he has the biggest connection to Foxy, I could see a confrontation between the two as one of the highlights of this chapter, maybe even something for the finale. That said, you have led the story into completely unexpected directions before, so I am a bit careful with speculation, especially since there's so much that is still unknown on the severity of their situation. One thing is for sure, the next parts will have me at the edge of my seat.
Weber! Damn it, he just turned from a badass blue mutant to a typical bavarian librarian
I'm probably still going to call him Nightcrawler though, because the association is already too deeply rooted within me. But well, it is certainly cool to learn such details about him and about Danny as well.
You know, I really feel sorry for her, as much as I can feel sorry about Trevor's sister. I wonder if the former Harvest Hills group has made his actions public, but even then, I doubt he was a popular member among the group that was formerly led by Zafir, so with him gone and maybe people even knowing that he murdered several people, including one of their own, I can imagine that they turn their anger towards his sister. That said, I am surprised that she might be ashamed of her family as a whole, that implies that they have all been as shitty as Trevor. Though it would make sense if she goes as far as to more or less give up on her family name. Not something I disapprove of though, certainly not. Argh, I can't believe I'd ever say this, but I am curious about Violet's future.
I wasn't aware that he has written a book on Norse Mythology. This sounds like a must read, although it isn't released here in germany yet. With the current size of my reading list, it is likely something I have to wait for until this summer, but I'll keep it in mind. When you have finished it, make sure to tell us about your opinion on it. And ah, I hope you enjoy the Color of Magic! A little note, it's actually the only Discworld novel that has a storyline that is not completed by the end of the book, so if you wish to have the complete story, The Light Fantastic is more or less required.
Domenick, 15-06: Generally, Domenick figured, if one allows someone to commit suicide, one doesn’t stick around to watch. The nine who were left behind by James didn’t stick around to see or hear the bloodworks, but they had watched—in stock, maybe a little bitterly due to being abandoned by their leader—as James successfully descended into the horde upon trunks, pickup beds, roofs, and hoods until Domenick yelled at them to stop staring and get moving. Then they moved in disorderly fashion, back south, back toward the radio station, back the way they’d came. They hadn’t been walking long.
“So, it’s over? That’s it?” Danny asked Domenick once it seemed appropriate to speak. Hearing his own voice, lonesome and loud, he felt he had definitely spoken too soon.
“It was a fool’s errand to begin with,” Domenick replied. “James and mister midwife can go--”
“James is going to die,” Violet interrupted.
Domenick didn’t finish his vulgar sentence. Instead, he studied Violet’s expression, which seemed oddly calm and impassive. He knew the stories of her brother and didn’t quite know what to make of her—she was something of an enigma, a reclusive and untalkative person. Finally, he nodded indifferently and repeated what she had said. “He’s going to die.” He added, “Violently and painfully, no doubt. Such is the fate of the stupid. Now, get a move on.”
Not long later, Kurt stopped walking. The others walked past him then stopped once they noticed he’d stopped. They all looked back at him. Softly, nervously tugging on the straps of his backpack, he said, “I’m going back.”
Domenick glowered at him. When Violet left the others and joined Kurt, Domenick transferred his glare to her. She met his eyes without flinching, blinking long, dark eyelashes against the assault of flies. Domenick turned, shrugged, and walked on. “Suit yourselves,” he called out behind him.
The others followed him, exchanging glances. After a while, Domenick looked back and saw Kurt and Violet jogging over a rise in the road and vanishing behind it. Now, it was just him, Tom, Asher, Jerry, Sasha, Maria, and Danny. Domenick looked at all of their expressions as they walked and saw they all, to varying degrees, looked discontent.
Given the placement of the sun, it was about eleven in the morning. They were all fumbling out their knives, keeping a hand on their firearms. Domenick had already drawn his machete and was intently watching what lay ahead. It was part of the horde, like an outstretched arm from the greater group to the east. It was probably three hundred feet away.
“Wait,” Domenick told his companions, not wanting any of them to shoot. He watched it shuffle across the highway in the distance. In terms of depth, it was no laughing matter; it covered about thirty feet of blacktop. Domenick looked to the west at the thick scrubs which blocked one’s line of sight. He had a terrible thought. “Actually,” he amended, “if we wanna get past this, we should run.”
They ran, following him, then stopped when he stopped after about seventy feet of hard sprinting. Walkers stumbled through the scrubs and down embankment to the west, linking with ones already on the highway. Domenick was suddenly very curious as to what this horde looked like from above. Like a storm on the weather report, maybe; it wasn’t one solid lump. They’d slipped into an opening without evening realizing it. An opening which was now closing. This was a new phenomenon to Domenick. Of course, he hadn’t seen a horde this large yet.
“Well?” Maria asked him. Domenick looked at her. Her tan skin was very pale—even in the growing heat as morning neared its turn to noon—and beaded with sweat. She, like the rest of the, looked like she was fighting nasuasa.
Domenick watched the horde that occupied the highway thicken in density with every few seconds. He said, “We can still break through. I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety, but I’d rather take my chances with this than go back into the heart of whatever the fuck this is.” He sat the dull side of his machete on his shoulder, moved a few steps further, stopped, and looked back to find they hadn’t moved. “Well? Every second’s a waste.”
Danny and Maria exchanged a glance. Then the young man received a nod from Asher. He sheathed his knife and took a step Domenick’s direction. Domenick could already tell he wasn’t moving to join him. Danny said, “If we’re in trouble either way, we should group up with the others again.”
Domenick laughed. It was thoroughly disturbing, completely devoid of humor, and thankfully only lasted a few seconds. Grimacing, he gestured down the road with his machete. “There is a lot less trouble this way, my friend.”
“The road back to the others is clear right now,” Danny said. “If we run, we can catch up to them. Besides, we’re closer to Fort Carson than we are to the station.”
Domenick said nothing. He didn’t even glower this time, just stared in bafflement. Danny hesitated, then turned and started off at a trot. Asher followed a moment later, then Maria said she was sorry and did the same. Domenick looked at Jerry and Sasha. The man shrugged, smiled glumly, and set off after the kids with Sasha. Domenick stood alone with Tom. He looked at the horde again and saw horde over the highway was thickening, spreading. He reevaluated his chances, looking back at his little brother and seeing that the man’s expression bore little confidence. He sighed a breath so cold and unfriendly that it could have frozen water. He concluded, regretfully, that it fighting way their way out was a long shot. But going back, following in James’s insane footsteps, had absolutely no appeal, possibly less, in his eyes.
[Break through and continue south, to the station.]
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.] Gotta stick together!
I'll be honest, I actually forgot that Jerry was with them.
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
I say it because in all the groups that split, James is on his own, Kurt and Violet are only two people, and in the third group, I believe that the only really able-bodied people are Asher, Danny, and Sasha, which left Dom and Tom alone. So none of them are in the ideal position to be split apart.
In the case of the able bodies, I would say Maria, but there have been lines that make me question her overall health during this expedition. Sure, none of them are in good shape, but she's apparently been looking sick for a few days now, despite having time to recover from the heat and take care of her needs, so that's why I'm not considering her an able body. I think my reasoning for Jerry is quite cleae, because you really don't know what's going to set him off. He might seem recovered, but his head injury is still there.
I also think it's safer they do regroup in the case they run into that foxface freak.
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
I said it before and I'm going to stick with it, splitting up is a terrible thing to do. As much as I think Violet and Nightlibrarian were right in going after James, I think they are in the most danger now. James knows what to look for, he can probably hold his own in a fight against the Foxface, but these two? Kurt might be a bit of a fighter and if I remember correctly, he used to be a guard at Laredo, but Violet is, by all means, the character I have the least trust in when it comes to a fight. I'd be surprised if she manages to kill more than one walker at a time. Against Foxy, she is beyond chanceless and if my theory is right that he already knows about their presence, now would be a fitting time for him to strike, taking out the weak link of the group, as they split up and grow thinner.
The other group has Danny, Maria, Asher, Sasha and Jerry and imighthavebrokenit brought up a concerning though regarding Maria. Perhaps she's got some illness, or her body takes the lack of actual good supplies worse than the others. Jerry got a metal plate in his head and serious PSTD, Sasha is likely going to focus on recklessly protecting Jerry above all others, which really just leaves Danny and Asher to fight. Dom and Tom both seem like capable fighters, but even they might not make it on their own to the station and hell, even if they do, they are two people and therefore easy prey for that masked freak. By all means, they should try and catch up to the other five again and then they should hope that they manage to catch up to Violet and Nightweber before anything terrible is happening. But man, I have the growing fear that now that they are all split up, not all of the group are going to reunite. Ironically, the ones I am the most concerned of are the largest group, but I think Maria and Jerry might be the most physically weak characters at this point, save for maybe Violet, so I don't think my concern is unfounded. Argh, I am really anxious about the next parts
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
Doing the insane thing means less likelihood of going insane, I think.
[Turn back and follow the others, to Fort Carson.]
Voting is Closed!
(!) Domenick will turn back and follow the others to Fort Carson
Domenick and Tom will turn back, follow the others, and provide assistance. Now that it has been revealed that the horde is sort of formed out of giant clumps rather than a solid crowd, I can explain what effect the second to last choice had on things. As it was, the group stuck together and got caught in the loop of the horde. Had the other option been chosen, the larger group would have skirted the horde, avoiding entrapment. The smaller group—consisting of James, Kurt, Domenick, and (determinately, following a quick choice on whether or not to allow her to accompany them) Violet—would have been the only ones caught in the horde. To explain more would spoil some other things it has affected.
Something I would like to clarify is everyone is reeling from the effects of their disgusting situation. I haven't exactly meant to single Maria out, though I do seem to recall mentioning at some point that she was having a particularly difficult time dealing with the conditions. Basically, everyone is feeling the same effects as her to varying degrees.
Recent reads:
This might be good, or maybe we did a very bad thing. I mean, a lot of my favourites are among the larger group and seeing them safely avoiding the horde would have been a good thing in my eyes. At the same time, if the Foxface is truly watching them, then I am sure he would have attacked the smaller group once thy would have been caught in the horde. One thing that interests me is Violet's wish to accompany them in such a case. I can't tell if she wants to prove herself and wants to prove that she's not like her brother, or if she's outright suicidal. With the way she's been acting, I wouldn't rule that out. I mean, going onto that expedition has looked a lot like a desperate move, to avoid the abuse she apparently faces in Laredo. She doesn't really have a lot to lose at this point.
Oh, this makes sense. I now remember that you mentioned such a thing, though I kind of jumped to conclusions a bit too early. Well, this is a relief for sure. I was worried she might be sick on top of the harsh conditions the expedition has to face right now, which would surely be the worst possible time to get sick.
Ah, this is great that you enjoyed it! It's indeed one of the most random Discworld novels, coming from the time where Pratchett was still trying to find a direction for where he wishes to push the Discworld into, but at the same time, it is one of the most funny ones, due to this vastly different scenarios. If you enjoyed both, The Color of Magic and Guard! Guards!, I have no doubt that you are going to enjoy the rest of the series as well.
I haven't heard of this one before, but from what you have mentioned there, it sounds really interesting! I am certainly going to check it out somewhere, to see if this is truly something for me, but it sounds quite interesting from what you say there. I have heard about the Chronicles of Amber though, but I haven't been sure if it's truly a series I'd enjoy to read. If you decide to give it a try, then let us know about your opinion on it, that would certainly be interesting for me!
About the Chronicles of Amber series, I also read the description for it on Amazon and it does sound very interesting. It is apparently one of the inspirations George R. R. Martin used to make Game of Thrones. Robert Kirkman is planning to do a TV series of The Chronicles of Amber, if you guys decide that you want to watch some of it before deciding if you want to read the series.
Damn, I missed a lot here and in Silicon. Sorry for not commenting for so long. Everytime it looks like I get a break, new stuff comes up and prevents me from reading. But I will always come back, no way I give up on reading this and the other stories here. I loved the new parts, maybe I can make it to the next voting in the time
I almost forgot , happy second anniversary! Its so cool that this story goes on for 2 years and I hope there will be many more!
Maria, 15-07: As the situation worsened, Maria wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong choice in heading back toward Fort Carson with Danny and Asher. Walkers were emerging ahead of them, behind them, and right next to them from the scrubs on the western embankment, snarling at them as the three of them sprinted single-file down the highway. The country out to the east was no good any longer either; they could see the wave of horde cresting a hill out that way. Maria didn’t want to think what would happen to them if the two fronts converged with them in between, but she thought about it anyway, and the sheer terror it instilled caused her to quicken her pace. Danny and Asher must have been of the same mind because upon seeing the horde rising over the hill because they sped up as well. Ahead of them, the highway was clear and open, and they could run straight with no obstruction, but walkers were about to fill their path.
They were fortunate because the rows of stalled vehicles roughly functioned as barriers, putting a limitation on the number of walkers able to pass through at once. At the moment, the larger gaps allowed about four or five walkers through every few seconds. Maria, Asher, and Danny passed the walkers easily by hugging the concrete divider located between the two sides of the highway. Glancing at down it, Maria saw that there were two dividers lined close together, that it was possible for someone to crawl into the gap running between the two.
Maria focused again on running fast and not tripping. Besides feeling mildly feverish as the sun neared its noon position, she felt horrible due to a combination of sleep deprivation, malnourishment, and an ongoing assault on her senses. The horde—already an affront for one’s eyes—conjured such a disgusting smell that she actively gagged. She had difficulty keeping that from hindering her pace.
There was a sound, like a shrill, distant whistle. It was one constant note, which grew louder and was undertoned by the sound of tearing metal. Before she tripped, Maria looked straight up and saw—far, far up in the sky—an airborne piece of wreckage flying and emanating a thick trail of black smoke, then (from her perspective) the road suddenly tipped up and she ran flat into it.
Before either Danny or Asher had time to come to a full stop, and before she could push herself off the ground, a hand snatched Maria’s upper arm in a vise grip and dragged her to her feet. Her legs, thankfully, acted clumsily but automatically as she regained her balance, her bearings, then her pace.
Maria looked at her helper and was not at all surprised to see Sasha pulling her along with an unrelenting grip. Danny and Asher had resumed running, casting glances backward to make sure they were still in tow. Jerry followed at the rear, rifle swinging in his arms as he ran. Maria noticed he was also looking at their wake nervously.
“I don’t see them!” he shouted, over their panting and the roar of the horde, to Sasha. He was referring to Domenick and Tom.
“Perhaps, Dear,” Sasha said through teeth gritted with exertion, “they aren’t coming.”
“I doubt they would try that,” Jerry panted. “They aren’t stupid.”
Sasha snapped, “You overestimate their intelligence. Now—” with a horrible, menacing undertone, she said, “—run.”
For added emphasis, Sasha increased her pace until she was at the others’ heel, dragging Maria with her. Maria, still dazed by her fall, asked, without taking her eyes off the road, “Did anyone else see that? In the sky?”
She received a few vaguely affirmative grunts from those behind and ahead of her and from the one applying torture to her upper arm, and got a solitary “I think?” from Danny.
“What the hell was it?” Maria asked, struggling for breath, feeling the ebb of her adrenaline.
“A plane?” Asher ventured.
Danny risked a glance away from the road—not in anyway having to strain his neck to loop up, because the aircraft or object was much further past them and much lower—and emitted a sort of low groan of displeasure at the sight of it.
“Might be a plane,” Jerry shouted in agreement, catching a look at the aircraft himself. “Eitherway, the poor schmuck is boned.”
They all tried to simultaneously watch the road, the horde which continued to press closer from their left, and the diminishing object. And just like that, the aircraft vanished from their line of sight behind the horizon, the only evidence of its passage a dissipating cloud of smoke.
“Alright, then,” Asher said, slowing down slightly and brandishing his knife. “Back… to the present... issue,” he managed, gesturing at the rows of cars near them. “Cars,” he wheezed vaguely.
They all slowed down, but continued to move forward, not stopping. Sasha let go of Maria’s arm, fumed a breath that seemed to consist more of anger than exhaustion, reluctantly nodded, and gasped, “I hope... James is alive.”
“Same,” Danny agreed.
“I really... want to be the one who kills him.”
“Oh.”
“This looks as good a spot... as any,” Asher panted, pointing with his blade at a pair of cars. The gap between this particular pair was clogged by the horde. The path it created was nothing grand, and between them and it were still a bunch of ambling walkers, but, comparatively, it was probably the best opening they were going to find.
Asher pulled himself together and joined Danny at the front again. They never stopped moving. Together, at a more cautious pace, they sort of veered away from the center barrier with their various blades drawn, ready to slash at anything that got within arm’s reach.
Behind them, Jerry stabbed a walker through its eye socket to the tune of squishy noises and fragmenting bone. Ahead, Asher slashed through the neck of another in their path with his large knife, mostly severing the walker’s head save for its spine and a few persistent ligaments. This evidently befuddled what remained of the walker’s motor functions, as it stumbled backward into the oncoming horde with its still-snarling head dangling at its back.
When a walker got within his comfort zone, Danny struck wildly at it with his knife. His strike went hit high, slicing across the walker’s forehead. He didn’t pause to strike again, and he hurried away from the encounter, pretending he hadn’t seen the walker’s face peel halfway down and reveal a carpet of maggots. Maria mutilated rotten fingers and wrists and forearms as an automatic reaction to limbs prodding at her. Sasha did the same, cutting with such diligence that it seemed to say she had a vendetta with each and every one of them.
The cars were reached quickly. Asher and Danny worked with diminishing strength to maintain a clear area right beside the car, but the horde was pushing rapidly closer on either side of them, and the way they had come had already closed. The walkers stuck between the two vehicles grabbed furtively at them but were out of reach. With Asher and Danny on either side of them, Sasha helped Maria onto the trunk, then Jerry. Maria moved to the hood while Jerry pulled up Sasha, then they both grabbed Danny by an upper arm, who gasped in pain as he was pulled onto the trunk then dragged up onto the roof.
Below them, several walkers got between Asher and the car. A dozen hands closed in on him like entwining fingers, and the young man struggled as his jacket became locked in the frail yet unrelenting grip of walkers. Asher screamed. Those above him—who were fumbling out their firearms—could not identify where he’d been attacked for all the limbs and heads and torsos merging on him. In truth, as other walkers tried in vain to bite through leather, one particularly crafty walker had snatched and bitten down hard on his gloved forefinger. In a surge of newfound adrenaline, a reiterated fear of a nasty death, and a blind fury of elbows, fists, knees, and shoulders, Asher broke free of the undead crowd, huddled into the few blocking his path, and clambered onto the trunk. From where he kneeled on the roof, breathlessly watching the ordeal, Jerry holstered his pistol, grabbed Asher—who sat in a daze, searching his glove for a sign of penetration which was not there—under the armpit, and pulled him away from the reach of probing hands.
Maria felt a sudden surge of vertigo while standing on the hood of the car. The car rocked beneath her. She looked long at the walkers snatching at her from gap between vehicles, backed up until the heel of her boots touched the windshield, pounded down the three foot expanse of hood, and leapt. She landed, albeit ungracefully, on the trunk of the next vehicle. Though he was grimacing from the pain in his calf, Danny did not limp as he repeated what Maria had done and found himself where Maria had been a moment before she had scrambled onto the roof. They both moved up, allowing room for the others who arrived without issue.
The vehicle they were all on rocked violently, so they didn’t waste any time moving up, and they spread out a bit more. The dead were all around. Those closest snarled and clambered against their fellow corpses to reach for the survivors on the cars, while those further away ambled closer to see what all the commotion was about, and while those furthest away—beyond the boundaries of the highway and blissfully unaware of the living presence—slowly churned and flowed like an obscene sea.
To be continued...
Notes:
I'm surprised by how much this finale keeps growing! Though in truth there isn't much left to go over, it has already far exceeded the length I was expecting and may be largest chapter in Act 3, or at least among the longest. I mentioned just a little bit ago in a update to Silicon County that I'm setting some goals to speed up the wait time between parts and such—and to conpensate for a possible long absense in April if I do vacation up north—by consistently devoting more time to writing. The exact same thing applies to Monument. I'm confident Act 3 will conclude before the end of the month and I'm hoping I can get Act 4 going before that time as well, but there is the interlude to contend with, so we'll have to see. At the moment, I'm having a great time writing and I can't wait to share some of the things in store in both stories! :^D
Recent reads:
Whoa... this was a super intense part and undoubtedly my favourite from this chapter so far. If I remember correctly, it actually was the first time we saw things from Maria's perspective, which I enjoyed a lot.
First of all, I can't decide who was more awesome in this part, Sasha or Asher. Both were not only badass, I also loved their sarcasm here. At the same time, I was really afraid that Asher and later Danny have been bitten during this walker struggle, though it seems they both got away narrowly. I wonder if Violet and Kurt got into the same trouble and if so, then their chances of survival are actually kinda worse. The same goes for Domenick and Tom to be honest and I start to believe they might be kinda screwed. I mean, just imagine what happens if Foxy attacks them in such an already tense situation. I feel like this chapter won't have a happy ending. To be fair, I am surprised everyone got that far already, as I am pretty sure that splitting up was a horrible thing to do, which only made it easier for walkers and Foxface to get an advantage over them.
And then there is this plane Maria saw. Or helicopter maybe. Whatever it was, it was something I did not expect. I mean, flying stuff is rare in the apocalypse in general, so a functioning plane is already a small miracle. But a plane that crashed just now, that's something else. I am super intrigued what that was, why it crashed and if there are any survivors, even if I doubt that last part. I guess mabye a later part in this chapter will reveal the answers to these questions.
Ah, you got another of my favourites. Out of the ones you have read so far, I also consider The Light Fantastic to be the one with the best narrative, especially due to it directly connection to the events of The Colour of Magic. But well, later novels only increase on that. Just wait until you get to Monstrous Regiment
Really glad to hear you enjoyed the novel! Equal Rites should be a good read as well (even if it is the Discworld novel that the least of a lasting impression on me) and Mort is indeed something to look forward for.
This is another novel I was not aware of so far. I have heard of Dan Simmons before, but can't say I am acquainted with his writing. I am quite interested in this one, now that you have praised it so highly and your explanation here sounds like it is something I absolutely should check out! Damn, you're making my reading list longer than I wanted it to be and I am oddly okay with that
Save to say, I will check this one out, it sounds like something that is worth a read.
I glad you liked it! Maria might have had a little segment in chapter 10 while she and Danny were checking out her uncle's house and discovered Asher (and the wonderful mutt Mutt) had taken up residence, or, as is more likely, I'm misremembering and it was Danny who commanded that segment. Regardless, I remember well that she had a brief segment in Christmas special!
Sasha's special move is Sarcastic Ferocity and Asher's special move is Tornado of Limbs, playable during moments which could end very badly. :^P There aren't many parts left, but I know we'll catch a moment to check up on Danny and the others with him. And not all hope is lost for Domenick and Tom, who still have an avenue of escape from the horde which was very briefly mentioned during Maria's part. I'm thinking the last part will have several segments from several points of view to good picture of what's going down. In terms of events needing to unfold, there's still some more ground to cover.
Whatever this flying hunk of metal is, there's bound to be a... hmm... hunk involved? I guess we'll have to see. Unfortunately, we probably won't get the opportunity to learn about this hunk until chapter 17 or so. There's some good to this, though. I'll just go out and confirm that the reason for this is because I'm planning to delegate the Colorado portions of chapter 16 to flashbacks centering on the fall of Colorado Springs. Tales-from-Telltale, if he doesn't mind me saying, actually submitted the characters who will populate these flashback segments. I really can't wait to get to start writing those!
The Light Fantastic definitely benefited from having established characters. With that in mind, I'm even more excited to read further into the different plotlines, especially the Watch stuff! Regardless of its lasting impression, I'm sure I'll enjoy Equal Rites! And I'm indeed looking more forward to Mort after each Death cameo! He's probably my favorite character out of the books so far!
I just want to make absolutely certain that you understand that Endymion can be completely avoided for the time being. When you get around to it, you'll want to read Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion back-to-back, or at least within several months of each other (bearing in mind that Hyperion ends in a complete cliffhanger and that the high and climax at the end of that book don't continue into its sequal—things have to build again in The Fall of Hyperion, so it starts slow). It's probably a good idea actually to put off reading the Endymion books for a while after finishing the first have of the Cantos. Dan Simmons is my favorite author, as I think I've mentioned, and I really hope you enjoy his work once you get the chance to read him!
Legitimately thought Asher was fucked when that ninja walker bit his finger.
I am super excited to read about my characters in the flashbacks, about the fall of Colorado Springs!
PS: I sent you a pm with a question regarding the flashbacks.
Never underestimate a man's ability panic his way out of a dangerous situation.
Me too! I think it's going to clear a lot up in the narrative that has been left unknown for a long time.
#thedeadsea, am I right? :P
Asher, 15-08: Asher was stopped by Jerry upon reaching a pair of large pickup trucks. Jerry also stopped Sasha, told her to wait with Danny and Maria in the bed of the next pickup, and explained something to her which Asher didn’t catch. Though, the young man did see the grimace what was said put on her face. Kneeling in the backend, the entirely vehicle rocking beneath him, Asher watched Sasha hop to the next truck and hunker down with the others there.
Jerry turned to him, frowned, and ordered, “Take it off.”
Asher muttered something about being taken to dinner first while setting aside his sniper rifle and backpack, undid his jacket, and handed it to Jerry, who inspected it. Hands shaking, Asher removed his gloves and merely found a large bruise which wrapped around his left forefinger like a purple ring. He felt around his neck and wrists for scratches or bites. Asher rolled up his pants legs, pulled down his socks, and put them back in order once he was satisfied nothing had gotten through there. Jerry handed him back his jacket and Asher put it back on.
“That was close,” Jerry said at last, having to raise his voice to be heard over the horde. The worry on the man’s face had not diminished in the least.
Asher noticed. The young man swallowed nervously, attempting to dry a parched throat. He retrieved a water bottle from his backpack, gulped a few mouthfuls, then offered it to Jerry, who accepted it without a word and took a few sips before handing it back. He put it back in his backpack.
While Asher was shouldering his bag and rifle, Jerry told him, “Wait here. Maria will join you.” He added, his tone miserable, “Danny might have been bitten.”
The statement hit Asher like a well-aimed brick. He sat back down again, heavily. His throat became dry anew. Pale and clammy all of a sudden, Asher nodded unsteadily and waited as Jerry mounted the roof, indented the hood with the weight of his body and gear, and jumped to the next truck. A moment later, Maria crossed the treacherous gap and came to sit with him. She was very silent. Asher tried to comfort her, like a friend (who was unskilled in such matters) would, by gently patting her shoulder.
Jerry: A splitting headache had formed between their departure from the radio station and they first glimpse of the horde. The pain was like that of object—like a bullet or arrow—having fragmented in the soft tissue of his brain. Jerry tried hard to internalize the pain, tried not to scream of groan in pain and frustration, and, all the while, tried desperately to maintain control of their situation.
Without looking Jerry knew when Maria had crossed over to the truck behind them—he had felt the car shake distinctly, even amidst the rocking created by the horde, and had heard the hood crackle beneath her boots as she landed—but he looked back anyway, just for some visual confirmation that she’d made it, and saw her drop into the pickup bed and vanish. Still unsatisfied, he turned his attention and grimace to those still with him.
Sasha was kneeling on the opposite side of Danny as Jerry. Danny was sitting with his back the truck’s cabin and his legs sprawled out, looking hopeless and worried. The young man leaned forward and rolled up the left leg of his jeans to his knee, then he twisted his leg around to show them the back of his leg. On his calf were two crescent-shaped welts—one could see where the bite had penetrated his skin by three tiny oozings of blood, and there were with several smaller pinpricks of blood all along the surface of the welts.
Jerry cursed, as the headache seemed to amplify its wrath, but remembered himself, whose responsibility it was to keep himself and Danny calm for what might be coming. “It’s not too bad,” he reasoned truthfully. “Show us your pants leg. It’s possible to draw blood without breaking fabric.”
Danny unrolled the leg of his pants back over the bite mark, grimacing as denim touched the small wound, but careful to keep the particular area of denim in question from touching his wound again. He twisted it around to show to Jerry and Sasha, who both leaned in closer. The crescent-shapes were mirrored here in the form of residue—saliva, if you could call it that, from the walker—and small pinpricks of blood showing through where the fabric had been frayed. The fabric, frayed white, was the most obvious sign of the bite thanks to the dark shade of the denim itself.
“Roll it up again,” Jerry ordered. “I want to see the underside of your pants leg.”
Danny obeyed without a word. Once the ankle of his jeans reached his thigh he twisted around again to show them the lighter underside of his jeans. The blood, as little as there was, was much more obvious on this side. Jerry reached out and felt the bite mark along the contours of the denim, not caring if blood or “saliva” got on his probings fingers. Emotionally, Jerry felt like a some kind of metal box, perhaps a phone booth, which imploded a fraction each time his fingers came across a fraying in the fabric which might be an incision. Once he was finished, he came away looking like that phone booth: crushed.
The defeat Jerry was projecting only served to heighten Danny’s anxiety. “Well? How is it?” the young man implored, his voice unsteady, wavering like a nervous flame. The boy’s eyes were watering involuntarily.
“I don’t know,” Jerry whispered.
“Are going to have amputated?” Sasha asked.
“I don’t know!” Jerry snapped. His brain throbbed within his skull. He didn’t want to think how bad his headache would get once the screaming began… he didn’t want to about that at all. “It’s little more than a scratch. We could disinfect the wound and wrap a bandage around it, but that would be a risk. It’s that or...”
“I don’t think you have to amputate, fully, exactly,” Danny ventured. “Maybe…” He seemed to imagine what he was suggesting and stopped talking, nausea clouding his expression.
“We could remove a small chunk of your calf,” Sasha finished gloomily. She looked at Jerry, her eyes set in a hard stare. “If we do nothing, Danny might become infected. If we cut off his leg, he’ll probably die, given the present circumstances and our current location. If we act fast and removed only a little bit of his calf, we might be able to make the best the situation.” She was frowning. “I’ll help, whatever you choose.”
[Disinfect the wound, bandage it up, and focus on getting out of the horde.]
[Perform a full amputation of Danny's left leg below the knee.]
[Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
Oh my, you weren't kidding when you said that you wish to put out more parts in this month. At this speed, it seems we'll see the end of the chapter very soon. Considering my dark feelings for this end, I am looking forward for it, while simultaneously being quite afraid. And well, it seems like it's getting real already. I have seen Danny limping in the last part, though I forgot to comment on it. Now, well, now we got a problem.
[Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
You know, I don't know how much Sasha truly knows about medical stuff, so I am not sure if I can trust her opinion on Danny's condition. It's a shame Calvin is not there, he would know what to do. One thing is for sure, just disinfecting the wound is a death sentence for Danny, because his wound is infected. It's just a question how far this infection has spread. It would be safe to say that amputating his leg would prevent the infection from spreading, but I don't have to be a doctor to see that Sasha has a point with the dangers of cutting off his leg. I am sure they won't manage to stabilize him. Hell, the only leg amputation I know of is Hershel's in the show and he very nearly died despite stable surroundings and quick medical help in form of bandages. I am about 90% sure that Danny is going to die if we cut off his leg and I am not ready to risk this. So, the calf it is. One way or the other, even if he survives, this is likely to leave him permanently crippled, because I doubt they'll be able to leave enough of his foot or nerve tissue around the calf to allow him to walk without problems. But if it stops the infection, it will still leave him better off than if we just cut off his leg. Argh, this sounds like the best option, which makes me afraid that it is actually not the best. Bah, we gotta try it. Still better than doing nothing and it still gives him better chances than if we just chop off his leg entirely
God damn it, my heart breaks for Maria right now
If Danny dies, this means that she has lost both of her love interests to the same circumstance, because this gives me very bad flashbacks to Christian's death. Back then, we hesitated too long and failed to prevent his death as a result. Maybe this time we can manage to save him? Though I am somewhat afraid that being bitten in the current situation is a death sentence regardless of wether or not we do something. This is going to be one hell of a tense situation in the next parts and I don't want to start imagening how she has to feel right now, after the whole Christian situation.
Reading this part hit me, man.
I believe that Danny is fucked no matter the choice. Cutting his leg off gives him the chance of bleeding out, Liquid mentioned nerve tissue and that is a concern with taking the calf itself, but leaving it alone is just asking for him to die.
I still haven't forgotten that the cannibals and that weirdo foxfreak are still around, so leaving a leg will get the cannibals on their trail.
So, I guess [Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
This whole situation reminds me of when Maria mentioned that Domenick was able to successfully amputate some guy's leg at Alpha. However, as much as we can hope for a Domenick ex-machina, I personally am not willing to risk it.
It also reminds me of what happened with Christian, of course.
Overall, it concerns me for the group in entirety. Danny could very well die, and if he does, I'm afraid for Maria's mental health and safety. At least Asher's trying, though.
[Carry out surgery on Danny's leg and remove a section of his calf.]
It maybe the only way to save him. We can't let Danny die like Christian. If that happened, who knows what Maria will do.
[Perform a full amputation of Danny's left leg below the knee.] Can't afford to take chances. Best to do the hard thing and just get it over with. We have no idea how far the bite has spread by now so it's best to assume the worst and rip the band aid.