EJ003X | audio | night 011

[littlemissfutility]

Hello?

[ The voice is whispery right now, but it still sounds young and female. Enough talk, and some of the vowels might sound just a touch southern. ]

Is there anybody out there? Dawn? Is Dawn here?

[ A pause. ]

If someone's out there, I need help. And if whoever's out there doesn't wanna help - I'm armed.

Comments

[hyakuoku]

So you're gonna go towards the cabin where someone got shot with a crossbow and someone else got offed with their own gun?

[ He laughs, but mostly it's incredulous. ]

Why the hell would you wanna do that?

[littlemissfutility]

Yeah, I do.

It might be someone I know.

[aluminumandash]

[ Hope he fucking likes you— ] Who? [ It's sharp. ]

[littlemissfutility]

Someone from home.

[salamanca]

This is "someone from home"... is he a person?

[littlemissfutility]

What else would he be?

[salamanca]

Whatever's up there isn't.

[littlemissfutility]

How do you know? No one got a good look at him.

[aluminumandash]

[ More focused, careful with the word: ] Family?

[littlemissfutility]

Yeah.

[aluminumandash]

[ Silence, though it doesn't last. His voice comes back thoughtful, subdued. ] I could give you a half dozen reasons why it ain't him, but why don't you give me yours first?

[littlemissfutility]

Because if anyone's gonna be holed up in a cabin, shooting at people, it's probably Daryl.

[aluminumandash]

He killed two people.

[littlemissfutility]

What happened?

[aluminumandash]

About a week ago, somebody took an arrow to the leg, then one to the throat. Four days back, different someone caught an arrow to the shoulder, stumbled into a well-made snare, then whoever this was [ —a pause as he searches for some better way to put it— ] shot him. With his own gun.

He said he'd do it slow next time.

[ichoosefight]

Don't go to the cabin.

Even if there's the tiniest chance that your friend is more than 6 feet tall, particularly murderous and speaks no known human language, if you get caught he'll only escalate. If you're determined to get yourself killed, I'm not going to stop you, but at least don't put everyone else at risk.

[littlemissfutility]

[ God, is she over being told what to do. She was sick of it before the hospital, and she's even more sick of it now - not least because it's coming from someone who sounds like she's around her age. ]

I'm not gonna get myself killed.

[ichoosefight]

You are going to put people at risk, whether it kills you or not.

And if your friend slaughters humans like animals with no warning or explanation, then I have a couple more problems with you personally.

[littlemissfutility]

Daryl's not that tall. It's not him.

[ Through gritted teeth, like she's staring daggers at the walkie while she says it. ]

Are you happy now?

[ichoosefight]

Almost. I'll be happy if you tell me that you're not going to annoy our Mystery Murderer into expanding his radius before we have a chance to do some actual recon.

[littlemissfutility]

Well, I'm not promising you crap until you stop talking to me like you think I'm some dumb kid.

[ichoosefight]

[ ...Okay, yes, you've got her there. But at least it sounds like this girl understands what a bad idea this would be. ]

Age has nothing to do with it. But I'm sorry. I'm just irritable. Teamwork is not really a common skill around here.

[littlemissfutility]

[ There's a pause on her end, like hearing someone else acknowledge that they're frustrated is enough to help her remember that she is, too. This isn't like the hospital - or, at least, she doesn't want it to be.

When she responds, it's with less heat. ]

Teamwork's all we had left at home. [ Well. ] Teamwork, and fighting off everyone who didn't wanna work together.

[ichoosefight]

[ Honestly, this girl reminds Steph of herself. It's probably a bad sign that that's irritating. ]

It's our best chance at survival. But we've got a lot of really stubborn, determined people that don't really know each other, and a lot of them have awful people skills.

[hyakuoku]

The shooter in the cabin? I wouldn't be all that sure, unless whoever you're thinking of got here awhile before the rest of us. Sounds like that one's been holed up there longer than the week and change the people on this network have been here.

Still. I'm not gonna talk you out of it or anything. Offer for clean water stands if you make it outta there and still want it.