Dirt Path

[Nina Machine]

She would of course watch out for the girl. Nina may never have had a little sister, but she had had brothers. A few of them in fact, though they had left when the compound doors had opened. But no matter; she knew how to watch out for them, even though she had been younger. As Claire led her into the garage, Nina's eyes adjusted to the dimness before noticing all the equipment and parts laying about. That kind of thing came in handy, as she thought of his barbed wire bat. Her lips tugged back in a crooked grin.

"That'll be just the perfect size for you, I bet." The smaller version, pink version rather, of Vic's bike was ingenious. If nothing else, they would be able to go riding out to find food and bring back more than what his bike could carry alone. Nina looked down at the beaming Claire and awkwardly patted the girl's shoulder. It had been years since she'd seen someone so small. Alive. Returning her attention to Claire's bike, she ran her hand over the steering column. The little girl was so proud of it, and Nina was happy that there were still good people in this world. Despite everything.

After a few more moments of praising the girl's bike, a few other odds and ends caught the blond's eye. There was a chainsaw as well as broken off pipes and a hammer on a table. An axehead lay on the floor in what appeared to be sawdust.

"This is... amazing. Does your daddy make all his own weapons?" That kinda thing came in handy when there were no more bullets to be had. In the back of her mind, Nina decided to ask Vic if he could make something for her.

[Winters]

Claire had jumped onto the bike, using the little platform that Vic had placed for her. It felt great for her to be just sitting on it, and in her childish mind, it was almost like she was actually driving it through the woods. Only there had been no gas in it, Vic certainly wasnt a stupid man, knowing Claire would be out here in the shop every now and then just to sit down on it, get a feel for it. Hearing what Nina said, Claire answered her in between speeding and zipping noises. "Yeah, he sure does! Weve went through a few of them already. Hes been making them sense before I was even born! Just what we need to fight off those stupid zombies..." But she quickly went back to messing about on the bike. It was almost as if she could drive it right now, but knew in her gut that she was still too young.

~~~

With a full stomach now, and some cold water water to wash it down, Vic was set for the day. Walking out of the kitchen to see the garage door open through the window, he grinned as the both of them in there. To any normal person in a normal world, making those sorts of weapons would be considered impractical. Unless you were a psychopathic killer or something, maybe it would be a great hobby. But in a time like this, making tools of destruction was a hobby worth the time and effort. Looking at the blood rusted bat hanging from his jacket near the door. This certain tool had been nearly broken, it was time to switch out before he went into Raccoon City next month.

Grabbing the steel bat, Vic carried it over his shoulder out of the house, closing the door lightly. Looking up at the sun, he took in its rays, feeling almost as if he was completely safe out here today. There wasnt a single cloud in the sky, it was very bright out. The clearing had been completely open in front of his house, and a few ravens could be seen circling over the treeline back where the dead bear had been. But this wasnt the only thing that could be seen, looks like there was a few more infected coming from the woods. "Oh sh*t..." Jumping off the step, Vic ran to the garage as quickly as possible, shouting about the danger. "Nina, get Claire inside, lock the door, and cover over the blinds. We got a few zombies out here!"

It shouldnt be a problem to handle them, but it could get a little messy if they didnt act fast. The house had been nearly zombie proof now that Vic knew there was a little danger out here on the rare occasion. Steel blinds had been set up on the outside to make sure that if the house did get swarmed, the windows wouldnt be broken and they couldnt get in. Gripping the baseball bat tightly with both hands now, he stood his ground, waiting for the infected to come to him. The most important thing to remember was no to shoot of any guns, as that would attract more and more of them. A simple mistake that only needed to be made once for Vic to ensure that it doesnt happen again. He also had another survivor with him, so when things get outta hand, Nina could assist him.

[Nina Machine]

It brought a smile to her lips as she watched the girl play with her child sized bike. She could see, even now, this girl was something else and would grow up to be something to reckon with. At that off-hand thought, Nina's previous smile turned to a frown. If she does get to grow up. Not wanting Claire to see the blond looking so grim, she once again plastered a smile on her face.

"I'm so jealous! Oooh, this looks nifty." She had been wandering around as she spoke, and noticed a long shaft of wood, with an assortment of pointy knives welded and nailed on. Quite ingenious. It'd be enough force to cause drama to the brain of any oncoming zombie and keep them well at bay! Which came just in time as Vic hollered into the garage. It was if her body took over. Nina practically picked Claire up off her bike and hauled her out of the garage. Settling the startled girl back onto the ground, Nina closed the garage door.

"On it!" She yelled back. Hurriedly, she told Claire to get inside and lock the door. There weren't that many, it appeared, but the blond would take no chance. She desperately wanted this young girl to have a chance at some semblance of a normal life. As normal as it could be these days. Knowing the girl would be more than happy to follow those directions, Nina ran toward the fumbling zombie nearest her and drove one end of the makeshift spear through its head. Nina heard the sickening crunch of bone before pulling the thing from the now falling zombie. She turned to find Vic, and see how he was faring before Nina was suddenly grabbed from behind.

[Winters]

With instinct, Claire had closed over the front door, and then pattered her feet around the from room. She had to stand on a chair to reach the steel shutters, but one by one, she pulled them down over the open windows. She stared from the front kitchen window for a bit, seeing her daddy swinging his bat at a group of those zombies. Claire knew that that Vic could take them all on, and wouldnt fall victim to the walkers, but with Nina out there helping things would be much easier. Looking away as one of the infected had its head cracked in two, Claire pulled down the last shutter, and then sat down on the futon, staring at the door and waiting for one of them enter from the scene outside. All she could go by now was the muffled noises, but Claire didnt want to think of what would happen if the both of them were killed.

Vic swung himself to the left, cracking in the skull of an infected, then bringing it down onto another. Pulling the nails out, he could see a few of them rusted falling off, still jammed into the face of another zombie. Cracks in the handle had given him the understanding that this weapons reliability would soon run out. As if to go along with that statement, the bat broke in two pieces seconds later, falling useless to the ground. "Sh*t!" He blurted out. With even more trouble, Vic turned to see Nina being grabbed from behind, and quickly pushed his way through a few undead to get to her side.

Grabbing the infected from the waist, Vic pulled the zombie away, and Nina had now been free to clear out the remaining away from the house. There had been about six left, turning into five when he threw the zombie the ground and crushed his head in with the heel of his sneaker. Now watching the woman work the spear around, easily cutting through numerous infected with flawless attacks, Vic was surprised at how well she handled it. The final infected had been pushed to the ground by a kick to the stomach, and in a combo, Nina jumped into the air and let the end of the spear down into the zombies face. Looking around the treeline and clearing now, there didnt seem to be any of those zombies around anymore. "Nina, go check on the Claire, im gonna scout out the area to be safe. Meet me in the garage after, okay?"

[Nina Machine]

She heard the distinct groan and snarl of the infected that had ahold of her, and screamed in surprise. Before she could try to swing the makeshift spear about, Vic had dragged it off of her and freed her from death itself. Nina quickly went into action. She had never had any sort of military training or any type of fighting, but it was as if her body knew just what to do. Then again, she knew nearly every soft spot on the human body; being a masseuse rocked. As the last infected fell before her feet, the blond turned back toward Vic breathless and trembling. Another close one. Nina feared her luck would soon run out. She didn't have to answer, only simply nodded.

At a jog, Nina rushed to the front door, hollering for Claire. After opening the front door, the woman beckoned for the child to follow. She made sure to close the front door though before she reopened the garage door. Once ushering Claire inside, Nina turned to the side, peering at the treeline for Vic. It hadn't been more than even fifteen seconds, she'd wager, but time was of the essence in life and death situations. But she dared not leave the girl alone for too long so Nina stayed right where she was. Guarding, essentially, the garage and Claire. She looked into the garage and smiled when she saw the girl fiddling with her pink bike once more.

[Winters]

After a good ten minutes of searching around the back of the house, the clearing, and several feet into the woods, Vic had deemed the place to be clear of infected. For now, at least. Taking the time to make his way back into the step, he looked at the blinds that covered the windows. Claire was definitly on the ball, she knew exactly what to do. However, it seemed the day had past by quick enough, and the sun was already starting to go down. Leaving the steel shutters down would be a safe idea regardless, they didnt need the windows at night. It would be a good time to sit and have a chat, talk about each other, where they came from and where they were going. But for noe, Vic had something else in mind for the evening.

"The place is clear... Nina, you did good. Didnt have to stop and think, just came naturally, that saves everyone more time then you could calculate. The sun is going down, where the hell did the day go?..." Vic spoke out, grinning to himself now. Around this time, him and Claire normally stay inside the garage, working on different things around the shop. The little girl fine tuned parts on her bike, while he did a little more with the beta weapons slew around the place. That spear was a great weapon, something that got the job done today, but it would be useless running around with it. Its too large and bulky, a smaller, lighter, and all around more reliable weapon was the goal here in the shop. Which brought Vic to a question for Nina.

"How about we work on a weapon for you, huh? You used that spear like you were born with it, im sure if we put our minds together, we could come up with a few things around here for when we do come around to going into Raccoon City for food. Those weapons are great, but theyre too loud, and ammunition is running low these days..." Looking around the place, Vic could see the remains of all sorts of deadly tools that had once been started on, but never finished. He had access to pretty much anything mechanical, hardware store goods and the like. Building was his passion, and it would kill two bird, er, zombies, with one stone if him and Nina could come up with a few weapon idea. Then finally throw them together over the next week, and put them to good use. "...So how about it? Where do you wanna begin?"

[Nina Machine]

What's taking him so long? While waiting, Nina had become ever restless. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins like a drug, making her antsy. Stepping to the side and more into the garage, the blond settled her spear against a work table, listening intently for any sign of her fellow survivor--or even Arcian. Vaguely, she wondered where he had gotten off to, or if he was coming back at all. With her hands now free, Nina twiddled with her hair and clothing, feeling as if she should go hunting for him.

Before she could act on that impulse however, she saw him coming back toward them, looking a little less grim at least. After he had come in, Nina rested her head against the wall to watch him wander about the garage. Indeed, she had felt at home with that spear. Though it wasn't exactly a hard thing to wield in her opinion. Hell, a gun was worse--recoil was a b*tch. A genuine smile came across her features as she, too, began to rummage about the odds and ends.

"If I was so good, why did I almost become zombie food?" Nina looked up from the pile she was going through to give him a 'look.'

[Winters]

It was in interesting question to think, why did anybody survive? It wasnt all about skill with a weapon, how well you fired a gun, or even how long you could sprint without stopping. All of these were factors in the guide to survival during these times, but it wasnt what was most important. It was Claire that drove Vic to stay alive, he couldnt forgive himself if he had gotten bit by one of these zombies. It would be the end of that little girls childhood, and the only family she had left now. Vic help onto her more then he held onto anything, she was what kept him going, moving forward through everything. One day among the living is one more day growing up for her, and he wanted that child to have a childhood. Thinking about what Nina asked, he could only come out with one real answer.

"Every moment were alive is a moment where the zombies grow even more hungry. We need eachother to hold onto when times get tough. If it was my say, I wouldve taken Claire and ran, just like we did back when this first started..."

~~~

"Daddy, im hungry..." Young Claire spoke out in a sad, grumpy tone. "Are we going back into the city to get some food, soon?" Victor wouldve answered, if it wered for a loud banging at the front door. It had already been reinforced, to make sure it wouldnt break dont, but investigation would be the mature thing. Grabbing his baseball bat, Vic ran to the front door, and swung it open, seeing an infected police officer stumble inside. "Go upstairs, Claire, now!" The girl didnt scream, instead, nodded and did as she was told. With a good crack, the bat hit the infected hard, knocking him outside. Looking around, Victor didnt see anymore of them around, which was a little rare.

Climbing down the steps, he walked inside the workshop, shining a flashlight around to make sure there werent any of them hiding. At that time, he heard a scream coming from inside the house, it was Claire. Vic ran back into the house, flying up the steps, and into Claires bedroom. She was scrambling away from the infected, trying to get away. Victor grabbed it from behind, and hurled it backwards down the stairs, hearing its neck snap as it hit the bottom. Seeing as there were more of them coming from the dirt road, Vic grabbed Claires hand, and spoke out. "You ready for this, kiddo?"

~~~

"We ran from here, never came back until it the zombies had all went away. I couldnt fight alone and protect my daughter at the same time. But with you there, we didnt need to run, we could take them on. Im not some kind of hero going around killing these things, I do it when I have to. Most times I run, its better then wasting your energy on them. I dont wanna run anymore, not now. Not when im sure we can kill every last one of them who try and get near us, even if it puts us in danger. You watch my back, ill watch yours. So yeah, your damn good with that thing, and im sure your be even better with one of these..."

Vic had been fixing around with a number of different parts from around the shop. Combining things together, reinforcing it, adding to it little by little. Until he finally came up with a perfect weapon to be used by Nina. It was something that fit nicely in her hands, looked purely natural, too. It was easy to carry around, it would hold up for a good long time, and it would be simple for them to come back and repair whenever needed. Adjustments could be made simply, customizations infused with it to make it just that much more reliable. "Here ya go, Nina. Not the most romantic thing to give a lady, but im sure itll come in handy. Keep that spear, too." It wasnt much, but Vic smiled, and then carried on messing about in the shop.

~~~Back at Joeys house in the Arklay Forest~~~

"It feels just like a sort of combat high, sir. Whenever im pressed into past experience with my old life, things just get out of hand, and I need to control myself before I end up hurting someone. I was passed out in the woods for nearly fourteen hours, wouldve been dead it it werent for your son. Joeys a good man, and that lady friend of his is a real eye catcher. But there too is something up with her, shes just like me, I see her. The same combat high with her, its almost like she can sense it in me. I dunno what to do, old man..." Arcian sat in the chair inside of Old Man Doucettes house up in the mountains, speaking with Richard himself. The guy had been up there since the outbreak started, looking after the place on his own, refusing to give it up to the infected or other survivors.

"Well, Griff, I dunno what to tell ya boy. I know back in the war, things were heated. Adreanalin takes over your body, and its easy to lose focus on whats going on around it. Sounds like made you better take a look at yourself, come out honest with people, so they can judge you for how you act when your sick. God forbid with you pulled that gun on me without thinking, without even acting on your own instinct. Now, you should be getter back to your friends. Take as much ammunition from my room as you need, and keep an eye on them. Youll be the guardian angel, regardless of your possesion. You still have that heart of gold, Arcian, and you always aim your gun in the right direction. Its up to your own judgment to realize when to pull the trigger or not." Arcian listened to the old man, only nodding before grabbing the set amount of supplies, and then returned back to the woods toward the dirt path.

[Nina Machine]

She watched him intently, wondering what he was putting together. Nina listened to him as he spoke of the day they had to run from their own home, heard him say how they had managed to survive all this time. Running. She had only been out of the community for about a week, and already she had done more killing and running than she had ever thought possible. Nina wondered to herself how long she would last. Yes, she trusted he would watch out for her, and her for him, but it still frightened her. When he mentioned about a weapon, she moved toward him, once again watching his hands work.

"I'll hold onto whatever I can. Including thiiiis." Nina grinned as he handed her what he had been working on for the past ten minutes. In essence, it was as a mace. The handle was light and manageable--he had even placed some sort of rubbered, indented handle on it for better grip. The business end of the weapon was thick and rounded with what looked like a few sharpened points sticking out the sides. It was a bludgeoning weapon for closer combat which was perfectly fine with her. Fear made the heart beat faster and the adrenaline pour through. It was a life saver and a deal breaker.

The blond grinned up at Victor and gave him a one armed hug, truly thankful they had run across each other, as well as the homemade weapon he had just given her. Really pro.

"Thank you. It'll be put to good use I'm betting." Offhandedly, she wondered if she could make a sort of sling for it before Nina turned to look out the still slightly open garage door. The sun was no longer visible, though the long shadows of the trees swayed on the ground. Night was soon coming. Will it bring anything with it? A gust of breath escaped her lips before she brought her attention back to the daughter and father.

"I could eat..."

[Winters]

An orange glow emitted from the horizon now, brushing against the trees to guide the moon further up into the sky. It was another day well spent, and now would hopefully be another night without any troubles. It felt great to have somebody on watch, but there was no way it would happen this time. Unless that guy Arcian could find his way back in the dark, it would be another sleepless night. "Yeah, im getting pretty hungry myself. Lets go inside for the night, we can come back out to the garage tomorrow morning." With that said, Claire nodded her head to her daddy, and then jumped off the bike. She was the first one out of the garage, bravely running back to the house. Vic would have stopped her, but he just had a feeling that she was fine doing it on her own.

As the others got inside, Vic closed the door over, but kept it unlocked just in case Arcian happened to show up during the night. It wasnt like the zombies could open doors, so being locked or not really made no difference. "I get the fruit, daddy!" Gathering into the kitchen, the three of them sorted through the now stocked up shelves, picking out what they were going to dive into for supper. Claire instantly went for a can of fruit, having Vic open it up for her and get a plastic spoon from in the drawer. As for himself, he was canned beans. There was a small contraption that he took down from the top shelf, it was a modified zippo lighter. It had a wider range, yet still kept a good sized flame. This is what he used to cook the beans from the can, all it took was a good minute and a half. Vic lay it on the table, however, for Nina to use if she wanted to have some cooked food for a change. "Another one of my creations. Beats the stove any day, and you can keep it in your coat pocket. Pretty handy, huh?"

[Nina Machine]

On her way out, Nina fetched up the spear she had used earlier. The blood and brains had already dried against the metal and along the shaft. It almost made her smile. What's not to like about a veteran'd weapon? Before going back into the house that was now her home, too, the blond made sure the garage door was closed as well. She followed in after Vic and was pleased to see he didn't lock the door. He might be a pain, but Arcian had saved Victor's life. Hers too, really. That bear could have very well followed after them.

She took notice of the can of fruit he gave Claire and her azure eyes widened. Her can opener! Nina wasn't sure if these two owned one, but it could definitely come in handy. Without a word, Nina raced up the stairs only to return a few seconds later with the can opener in her grasp. Returning to the kitchen, she handed it over to Victor.

"I didn't know if you had one, but.. Here." The blond firecracker gave him a smile before pilfering about in the cabinets for the food they previously put away. After a moment, she picked out a can of car-shaped spaghetti-o's. Using his method with the rigged up Zippo, her can of tomato tasting noodles was ready. After fiddling with the can opener a moment, the lid popped off and Nina dug in with one of the plastic spoons. It was the most delicious thing she had eaten, Nina thought.

"I'll take watch tonight. Who knows if--" She looked over at Claire, noticing the girl perking up. What Nina had been about to say was 'who knows if he's alive,' but she had a sinking feeling the little girl wouldn't like to hear that. So instead, she said,

"Who knows if he'll come back until later tonight..." Nina cleared her throat before taking a few more bites of the spaghetti-o's. Nina didn't particularly want to finish the can tonight, food preservation was important. She might get a stomach ache if she let it set out. But which was better, having a stomach ache now or risking starvation sometime in the future?

[Winters]

"Thanks, I hadnt even thought about grabbing one last time I was at a store for that stuff. Always just used a knife, but this make it easier..." Vic grinned, sliding back over to Nina as she opened up her own can. It was a little odd, having cooked food. This was the first time in awhile he had been back home long enough to eat in it its comfort, little lone the kitchen table. Claire and him had been taking out to collect food, and stayed at local areas what had been setup for an overnight stay if something should happen to the house here off the dirt path. But just like back in 1998 this was going to be his and Claires home, theyre safe zone, and for the time being, Ninas as well. Vic couldnt stress that enough to get his point across, he was happy to have him stay.

"Nina, you dont have to stay up watch, im alright doing it on my own. Besides, im used to it, really." But this time, there wasnt going to be any debate over who kept on night duty, Nina was staying up to watch the place whether Vic liked it or not. After hearing another one of her more forcing, verbal reasoning, he could only admit that he was indeed tired, and it was a great idea for her to do so. "Yeah, okay, okay..." For the remainder of the supper, a the bother of them had talked about theyre previous lives. How Nina was a massuse, and how Vic ran his own repair shop here in Arklay. The little things had gotten out, but there was quite a bit either of them had been keeping to themselves, they would save the more emotional stories for another time.

Looking out the crack between the steel shutter blinds, Vic saw that the moon was rising high in the sky now. Looking at his digital watch, the time showed that it was 9pm, time for Claire to get some sleep. Since the day was exceptionally long, Vic would be getting some sleep himself, as well. The night was quiet, as always, but a light rain would be heard faintly coming down against the shutters. It was peaceful, but that would mean Nina had to get a little wet if she was keeping watch. "Well, I think its time we get some shut eye. Claire, you head up to bed, and ill be there soon, okay?" The little girl nodded, and then hugged her father around the waist. She then walked over to Nina, and gave her a hug as well, saying goodnight to the both of them.

As the two of them grinned, Vic and Nina walked to the living room, and then leaned up against the front door, as if to stop Nina and try to get her to switch the shift. "Nina..." But this wasnt his intention, as Vic grabbed his yellow leather jacket from the coat rack, and then tossed it over to her. "...Thanks a lot, I really appriciate it. Put this on though, its gonna be cold out there tonight. To the left of the house, we have a little deck with a roof. If the rain gets too heavy, stay under there. Windows are closed over, so you only have to watch the front of the house anyways." The both of them exchanged their goodnights, and then Vic nodded at Nina, giving her another thankful smile before she left the house.

~

Walking down the hallway, Vic noticed that Claire had kept the light on. Peeking inside, he could see the little girl laying under the sheets of her bed, looking at a photograph. It was inside a little locket that she kept inside her backpack. Upon noticing Vic enter, she quickly stuffed it back inside, and then moved it back to the front of her bed. Vic didnt really know what to say, it was obvious she missed her, and a young child such as herself would have hard time grasping the reality. Sitting down bedside her, Vic put his hand on Claires shoulder, and then brushed her hair beside the pillow. "...Why did mommy push me down when we visited her at the hospital? Was it because of something I did?" Vic pressed his hand into the pillow tightly, shaking as Claire spoke. A tear fell down his face, as he spoke out, trying to answer her the best he could. "...That wasnt mommy, princess. That was just someone who looked like mommy..."

[Nina Machine]

Arguing had always been one of her better strong suits. Maybe he realized that. Or maybe he was so extremely tired he didn't care. But all Nina knew was that she had won. She refused to take 'no' for an answer. He needed some sleep; the blond could read it on his face like an open book. Nina retrieved her homemade spear and bludgeon. She didn't get the gun though. Would cause too much of a ruckus, and Nina knew she must save the bullets. Very important.

It took her by surprise when Claire hugged her, but she returned it all the same.

"Goodnight Clairebear." The blond even managed a warm smile before the little girl scampered upstairs to get ready for bed. After a few more seconds, Nina turned back toward Victor, listening. She promised him she'd be careful and he had better get some sleep. Nina gratefully took the leather jacket and put it on, as well as zipped the thing up.

Gathering up her weapons, since she had had to drop them to put on the jacket, Nina headed outside and closed the door after her. The wind whipped at her face, as if trying to slap her and the little drizzle was a cold one. It could only get worse. Nina didn't want to go around the side yet, so instead she hugged her back against the siding with her eyes casting about in front of her.

"Well this was a good idea..." She chuckled softly to herself before putting her spear beside her, letting it lean on the house as well. The trees' limbs swayed and groaned, telling secrets to one another. It screwed with her vision, making her think something was out there, but nothing ever came stumbling through the brush at least. And she had never taken zombies as ones to 'watch and observe,' as Nina was. She sighed softly, feeling a few sprays of rain slick against her face and the jacket.

[Winters]

With the sound of rain pattering against the rooftop, Vic lay down beside Claire, comforting her while she fell asleep. It was a very awkward moment, but he didnt know what to tell the girl. Her mother Karen wouldnt be coming back to them, not ever, this was scary for the little girl. At first, before all this started, Claire was sheltered from the whole incident. She was unaware that all this was going on, and why they were running away all the time. But she soon learned the truth, however, still cant comprehend her mothers actions. For now, all Vic could do was just move on, and take care of the girl on his own. he would do whatever he could to keep her safe, and that was his promise. Within a matter of minutes, Vic had fallen asleep next to Claire in her bed, smiling in his sleep.

~~~

From the treeline, Arcian looked through the scope of his rifle toward the house from the distance. It was very late, and the rain was coming down pretty heavy. Seems that the girl Nina had been on watch for the night, sitting down under the deck and keeping a keen eye on her surroundings. Through the scope, Arcian was keeping a keen eye on her. "Thats right, sit still..." he murmered to himself. Arcian had been watching the girl for nearly fifteen minutes, but then he saw one of the infected nearby. Quickly switching his aim, he peered through the scope toward the infected now, and took the shot. But a loud sound didnt emit, it was suppressed by the silencer on the end of the barrel. Arcian saw Nina stand up, looking around as the infected had been laying on the ground with a large chunk of his head missing. Waving his arms into the air, Arcian tried to get her attention.

[Nina Machine]

Not long after she had gone outside, the rain had begun to fall in torrents. Quickly, though quietly, Nina moved to the left side of the house and found shelter beneath the roof over the deck. The hard pitter patter began to wear down on her nerves, eyelids falling closed every now and then. Nina was tired, but not exhausted at least. So her eyes would snap open quite easily.

Bored bored bored bo--. Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of something heavy crumple to the ground. She rose up in that instant, looking to where the sound had come from. A body with half its head gone, as well as a hand lay there in a dead heap.

"What the..." A motion caught the corner of her eye and Nina immediately perked up. Someone was waving at her, though she had no clue who. She could attempt to yell, but with this rain it would be no use. Plus, she didn't want to risk waking up those in the house. So instead, the blond let out a hefty sigh and picked up her mace and ran out from under the protection of the roofed over deck. As she neared, the figure became easier to see. Coming upon him, Nina hollered over the thunderclaps.

"YOU! You scared the hell out of me!" She knew she should have said thank you, but he had surprised her. Besides, Nina knew she could have killed that zombie... If I hadn't been drifting... Her blue eyes glared at him through the haze of the rain before she told him to come with her under the roof's protection.