Valley of Shadow (Extreme Western Horror)

[Quiet_Cool]

Statler

We were moving to the whorehouse, Tex and the new guy moving toward the hills. A foolish idea, but I wished him luck. Felicity apparently decided to make her own way, heading off on her own.
"C'mon, Jesiah," I began, "Let's get them out of here, somewhere safe."
We moved as quickly as we could, followed tightly by twenty or so others. More zombies seemed to crawl out of the woodwork as we went. By the time we'd reached the whorehouse, they were everywhere, staggering around us like a townfull of angry drunks.
We rushed through the front door, hurried everyone inside, then closed the door and began to board up the few windows. That was the good thing about the whorehouse...very few glass windows.

 

[PmTick]

Fissure Rameriez (plans changed)

I had been swimming for 15 minutes until I saw a small light atop an incline. "Finally freedom, and not a minute too soon, it really stinks down here." Where would it lead me? I climbed the incline and popped my head through the hole.

Looking around I realized this was an outhouse. Apparently I had been wading in someone else's filth. I climbed out of the toilet and brushed myself off. Looking out the moon shaped hole in the door I saw I was literally surrounded by zombies but the hill wasn't that far away. The only way I would be able to make it was to just hit the ground running.

I quickly made the sign of the cross, "Lord I hope you give Tex the sight to see me so I get through this alive." I took a deep breath and prepared to kick open the door.

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex saw a swarm of zombies, swarming for the hill. belting out a cry, he trained the Gatling gun on them and started mowing them down. starting at the back

 

[PmTick]

Fissure Rameriez

I heard gunfire coming from outside. I kicked down the door and headed for the top of the hill. A few of the zombies tried to get at me but they met the but of my shotgun. I climbed up to where the fire was coming from. "Ahhh Tex, thanks for the save, excuse my stench I've been sifting through shit."

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex grinned and took off the heads of the last few running to him. "my pleasure Fissure!" Tex turned beck to the Town and loaded in another belt of shells. ripping open fire on the buildings below.

 

[PmTick]

Fissure

I raised my shotgun and began shooting away, even though Tex seemed to be doing just fine with the gatling gun. "How many of these demons are there?"

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex gating gun slowly spun down and the end of the chain spat out. smoke wisped out of the barrels, and Tex would need to let them cool for a couple minutes, so he let it go around the sling in his neck and pulled out a large pistol. "i donno Fissure, but i'd say a few hundred less than there were an hour ago! maybe we should drop down and look for the others?"

 

[PmTick]

Fissure

"Sounds like a good idea, if we have to wait for that thing to cool like this we'll be worm food."

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex dropped down a few branches and hit the ground. pummeling a few rounds into a creatures face before it stumbled and toppled over. "come on Fissure. to the town, my big baby will ba back and working soon."

 

[PmTick]

Fissure Rameriez

I slid down the side of the hill, deciding to use my six-shooter rather than my shotgun so I can fire off more rounds faster. I landed a couple of good shots in one beast's head before having to reload.

While reloading one of the creatures got a little to close to me, luckily the lord was watching me. I grabbed it by the neck with one hand and crashed my elbow into its face withthe other. I repeated this motion with the but of my gun, breaking the things neck.

It stumbled to the ground but was far from done. I managed to get three bullets into the chambers and quickly shot the thing in the head. "Wish I could reload quicker!"

 

[Firesprite]

A noise came from the adjoining room.. a clatter, some shuffling..

Quickly Felicity grabbed the Sherrif's key from his desk to open his gun cache. Quietly she eased out a gun belt, complete with revolvers and ammunition, and an ammo belt for the rifle she'd borrowed from Tex.

Locking it again behind her, she placed the key in the desk drawer and silently slipped out the back door. Time to head for the hills she thought. Time and past time.

Sticking to the walls and night shadows, Felicity edged her way towards the sounds of gunfire.

As she crossed the open space between the Jail and the Town hall, an arm grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Struggling against the strength in the arm, she began yelling for help at the top of her lungs.

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex heard Felicity's voice cry out in help, and he nodded to Fissure. "come on, she's in trouble" Tex followed the crys, shooting down the zombies he could.

Tex came around the side of a uilding and brought down the gun in his hand. it was pointed at the figure on Felicity.

 

[Firesprite]

Still trying to free herself from the iron grip, Felicity was lifted off the ground and dragged backward towards an abandoned home. They were almost inside before Tex and another guy came into sight. As she tried to shout again, a knife was suddenly at her throat.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Statler

"This man is in trouble, Statler," Jesiah said, trying to hold down Gabby as his wife stroked the old man's face.
There was nothing I could do.
"Is there a way to...make him comfortable?" I asked, looking at Marie.
Gabby's wife looked up at me, knowing far too well what I meant.
Marie nodded, swallowing the invisible lump that was obviously in her throat. She walked over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, bringing it over and handing it to me.
I held it down to Gabby, who barely seemed to notice me. Gabby had been an overactive drinker for some time, we all knew. It was a sad sight to see, someone giving their life over to such demons, but now, what did he have to lose? "Something to wet your lips on, old-timer."
He gripped the bottle, as though the sight of it brought him back to reality. I took off the cap for him and watched him take a long drink. His body eased a little, having taken to the shakes.
"You better take a look at this," Mira suggested. She was the Madam, nerves of steel as strong as any man's wrapped up tight in an aging woman's body. Just a few years ago, she was still working, helping the place grow as the town slowly did. Now, she just ran the place, having set up a base of operations that was as sturdy as they came for establishments such as these. Bases that were seldom shaken by anything except underpriced competition, that is...
Mira stood by one of the few windows, peering out between the boards we'd fastened over them.
I glanced through next to her, seeing the zombies outside. They'd ceased to beat on the door a few minutes ago, and took to just standing there, as if they'd gotten bored but didn't know what else to do.
As I looked out, I saw them turning to face the street, many of them moving clumsily aside. Their eyes seemed focused (if that was at all possible) toward the end of the street to the south.
"What the...?" I muttered.
"What's goin' on?" Jesiah asked from behind me, almost making me jump out of my skin.
"Sorry, there," he said, patting me on the shoulder. I would have thought he'd have some remark, especially given how poorly we got along. i guessed it really was an all-for-one effort here.
I stepped aside to give him room to see for himself.
"Makes no sense," i commented. "They're...mindless, but they seem to be acting--"
I broke off, hearing the sounds of horses approaching in the eery silence outside. Gunshots erupted, pistol shots by the sounds of it. Tex and his buddy finding thier way back into town.
The zombies paid no attention to the shots, but kept their eyes on the scene beyond our vision.
A moment later, a stagecoach came rolling into view, its driver dressed in long black robes that looked old and rotted, torn in places. The coach came to a stop in front of the whorehouse.
"What's this shit?" Jesiah asked. Toughly spoken words, but the man whispered.
The coach door on the near side opened and a figure dressed similarly to that which drove the coach stepped out, walked to out into the opening the zombies had left and stood there, still.
Another crack of pistol fire.
The darken-robed figure raised one arm slowly, the ragged robes hanging front it's limb and a hand slid from the end.
"Jesus!" Mira spat.
The hand, free of flesh save a few rotting pieces that hung from its wrist and boney fingers, curled into a fist save its index finger, which pointed down the street toward the gunshots.
The zombies rushed in that direction, all of them leaping to life and heading away. The figure stood there as the zombies rushed past it."Christ," Jesiah finished the curse Mira had begun.
As the zombies cleared out of the street, more horses approached, five of them riding in to join the coach. Three more figures exited the coach, moving single file and lining up behind the other. The coach driver stood and joined them as well, and the five on horseback, all of them identical, drew their horses reigns and headed back the way they came.
"What's going on?" Mira asked. "Why does this scare me more than those damn walking corpses did?"
"There're people outback, on horses," one of the whores shouted, her voice sounding familiar, excited.
"They've surrounded us," Jesaih said, matter-of-factly.I looked back outside in time to see the figures standing there all turn to face the building in unison. Mira stepped back, and I felt my body try to follow her lead. I held my ground though, only to see, again in unison, all five produce shotguns from beneath thier black robes.
"Shit!" I spat, stepping back. "We're in trouble..."
I reached for my pistols, unsure if they could hurt these creatures or not.
"Maybe they can help us," the whore near the back said, sounding overjoyed. She had no idea that they weren't human, i realized.
"Wait," i shouted, but she'd opened the back door and began running outside, stopping after a few paces and raising her arms above her head. A pretty blonde I thought, Andrea I believed, nice body, cute face, the kind of girl who should never have wound up working in a place like this.
"Everybody down," Jesiah shouted, just as Andrea started to jump up and down, waving her arms over her head.
"Hey, over here!" She shouted.
I hit the dirt, thinking, such a nice girl, a nice wife to any lucky man, and hearing the first of the blasts. It took off her right arm, severing it at the shoulder and sending the limbs flipping end over end to the ground behind her. I wondered if what had happened had even registered in the way of pain before the next blast caught her in the opposite rib cage, tearing at the flesh there. A third shot took off her pretty head, sending pieces of brain and chunks of skull toward the doorway.

 

[PmTick]

Fissure Rameriez

"Keep moving Tex I'll cover you." As he began to run to follow the crys for help, I once again brandished my shotgun and began firing at the relentless horde.

 

[Firesprite]

The arm around her waist and the knife at her throat stilling her movements, Felicity was sure she had only moments left.... Suddenly, the hand holding the knife dropped, and the arm released her waist. In an abrupt movement, she was grabbed again by her wrist and dragged helplessly behind the man.. at least, he had the shape of a man..

Darting in the house and out a side door, she did her best not to fall, stumbling over her skirts, she was pulled savagly behind, and they were heading into the thick of things. She could hear Tex and the other guy behind, but she couldn't get out of the way to give them a clear shot.

In moments they were running past the Saloon, and heading to a gathering outside the whorehouse.

Seeing the creatures standing there, Felicity finally glanced down at the strong hand holding her wrist, and saw that it wasn't just thin, it was skeletal....

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex kept running after Felicity and when the came to the Clearing, he dived, grabing the Skeletons hand and ripping it form Felicity's body.

 

[Firesprite]

Gasping in relief, Felicity fell into Tex's arms. Looking wildly around at all the.. Whatever they were, Felicity spotted people inside the whorehouse. Racing to the door with Tex, and waving the other guy in too, Felicity ran toward the relative safety of the building. Seeing at the last moment a body sprawled on the ground, she jumped it awkwardly, and one foot landed in some brain. Skidding slightly, she made the last lunge into the door.

 

[PmTick]

Fissure Rameriez

I began heading to the whore house, good thing too I was running low on ammo. Dashing through the doorway I took a deep breath, "Anyone have some ammo? I'm running low."

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

Tex leaned on the counter regaining his breath. "i donno how many more shots for the Gattler i have either. still a few belts though. if we can get to my place, i can reload the whole lot of ya." Tex smiled at Felicity.

 

[Firesprite]

"But.... w..what are those things?" Felicity whispered. "I don't think it would be safe to go out again tonight. I think maybe the girls have a few guns don't they? for customers who don't want to pay?"
Felicity was worried. The last time the dead had risen, they had been the only ones. These new.... creatures though seemed like a completely new order. Perhaps the zombies were just to soften them up?

Felicity shared her thoughts with the others, waiting to see what they thought. They needed a plan.

 

[hybirdx]

''ow....''the body started to move but barely he was still bleeding pretty badly ''oh man.....wh-what happened to me."he moans seamed to be comming from the top floor of the building.but there was somthing else lurking up there searching for the wounded body

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Statler

We were almost all together again. A shame things couldn't be more pleasant. Jesiah dove toward the back door, slamming it shut before the creatures could fire off any more shots.
"Do you realize how lucky you are, Little Miss?" He asked Felicity. "Those things damn near just cut that other girl in half."
Shots were fired, closer now than before. They thudded against the wooden walls outside.
"They're marching on the place," Mira announced, "What the hell are we gonna do?"
"Run, or hide," I suggested. "Unless we can kill them."
To finish this thought, I crept over to the window Mira stood at and took quick aim outside at one of the advancing creatures. I shot, hitting it square in the chest. The bullet sent dust into the air, but otherwise left the creature unphased.
"Nope," I said. "At least not any easy way. Is there a basement here? A wine cellar?"
Mira shook her head. "Nope, and ain't no place here to hide more'n a few. Runnin' lookslike our best bet, least it would if there was a way out."
"Maybe Tex's place is best," Jesiah suggested.
"How about we split up, some of us heading to Tex's to get ammo, others heading out to other spots. That way--"
I was cut off by the sound of another of the whores, gasping suddenly, as if frightened or hurt. I glanced over, almost in reflex to see her holding her hand to her chest and looking at the injured Gabby standing next ot her.
"Goodness Mister Johnson, you scared the living..." she began.
Gabby grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her violently toward him, his teeth finding her upper arm and sinking in as he groaned.
"Shit!" Mira shouted. "He's one'a them!"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Statler

When no one reacted, I ran over to the screaming girl and grabbed gabby by the shoulder, pulling the two apart. He shifted his attention to me, trying to turn his head so as to bite me while I tried to stay behind him. I shoved him to the ground, raised my pistol and fired a single shot into his forehead. He lay still there for a moment, then his body twitched twice.
"Shit," Jesiah spat.
"When they get bitten..." Mira began.
"They turn into them," Jesiah finished.
I turned and looked to the whore who'd just been bitten.
She'd fallen to the ground, gripping her shoulder tightly and looking back at us.
"Wait," Mira said, before anyone had even moved. "SHe deserves a fair chance. We'll watch her, and if nothin' happens, then--"
Another gunshot blast struck the back door, this one sending fragments of wood and buckshot into the room. Several of the whores screamed at the sudden sound, and we all flinched.
"Alright, get her to her feet," Jesiah said, readying his pistol. "If you want to hide here, then hide, if you wnat to run, then run. We've gone and run outta thinkin' time."
"I think I'm heading out the back way," I said, surprising myself with the suggestion. I was running toward them?
"I'm with you," Jesiah returned.
SEveral of the whores were scattering around the house, some heading into closets to hide, others moving up the steps. The patrons seemed to agree with their idea of hiding as they followed suit. But where would they hide, I wondered. yunder mattresses? In closets? Who wouldn't find them there?
"Don't leave me here," the injured whore spat, now on her feet. Blood stained her sleeve and the front of her pretty blue and white dress.
Mira looked around at the place. "She's served me well, but I guess it's time to leave. Can't carry the girl and keep moving though."
"We'll take the girl," I said. WHy not?
"Anyone else plannin' on running, we can all go out the back," Jesiah suggested. "Enough gunfire should at least give us some runnin' room."We waited for a answer, but I wouldn't be waiting too much.

 

[Khadgar]

Tex

tex nodded "i'll go, but i think i'll need to go get some more belts from my place. i've only got a few hundred more rounds, and although ther a durn lot, this here fires 'em out fast."