Samindi leaned against a tree as her stomach heaved for the second time today. She had felt this coming for days yet the fear of discovery, by the walkers or even other people, had forced her to continue to eat without a fire. She had tried to be careful; her father had taught her the basics of hunting game; how to dismember, what parts to eat, take care where you cut. But she had not the experience to properly prepare game and her father would never have suggested to eat raw meat. She never thought it would get this bad, she thought she was careful and knowledgeable, that she could manage. Clearly, she could not. Anything she ate today she vomited back up and she was constantly having to squat behind a tree. She was starving, sick, covered in filth and convinced she was quite possibly dying.

She watched the walkers beat on the mobile home. She would have walked straight past any other time, people inside or not, she didn't make a habit of getting involved in other people’s problems. Especially if those problems contained walkers. It pained her to admit it, but she needed help. She had stubbornly refused it in the past, convinced in her abilities to survive in the wild. She did well enough for a time, perhaps this would pass and be just a valuable lesson learned.

She sat behind a tree and assessed the situation in front of her. Some real food would be good, cooked or packaged, and it was likely whoever was in the RV had something. Whether they would be willing to share was another issue entirely. She had a few ideas, none of which were very good, especially in her current condition. But if they had food or, she dared to hope, medicine, she might just be able to shake this sickness before she got worse. Sami crept closer, as close to the road as she could while staying within the tree line. She peered through the windows and waited, hoping to get an idea of how many people were inside.

Samindi

Before the world ended, the road was probably considered a scenic route. The tree line starts immediately at the edge of the road's shoulder - if anything, in spots it has encroached far enough onto the shoulder that most vehicles could not safely pull over. Samindi can get quite close to the vehicle without leaving the trees, though of course she must hang back somewhat to avoid being detected by the walkers.

The people inside have pulled blinds over every window they can, but they either won't or can't stop themselves from peeking around the edges. After a bit of observation, Samindi determines there are most likely three people within the vehicle, though she can't make out any details.

Samindi sat amongst the trees, three people. She dropped back about 60 feet from the vehicle and surrounding walkers. She took another inventory of her arrows, though she already knew how many she had. 18. Not enough. She might be able to take down a few, and from the looks of the mangled corpse under the wheels of the vehicle they were not likely going anywhere. Hopefully they would help if she caused a distraction.

She hoped she had the energy to avoid them if the small horde turned on her. She hoped the people in the mobile home would help if she could thin out the group or distract most of them. She hoped for alot, but she was certain she could run if it got too bad. She would lose a few arrows in the fight but for the chance at some help it was a small price to pay.

Okay. She thought, Let's go.

Trying to stay silent, stay hidden, Samindi drew an arrow to her bow and fired at the closest walker.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:22, Tue 30 Mar 2021.

Samindi

Samindi lets an arrow fly and hits the closest walker in the head, killing it. Her bow itself is all but silent, but the walker's corpse slumps against the side of the RV with a bang before falling backward onto the road.

The other walkers continue to bang on the sides of the mobile home. None of them seem to notice or care about the death of one of their number. If Samindi hopes to distract them, she will probably need to make more noise.

Because of Samindi's limited visibility into the mobile home, it's unclear if the people inside noticed her kill. Samindi does notice, however, a shotgun lying on the ground near the RV's door, close to the corpse stuck under the front wheel. None of the walkers seem to have dropped it.

Sami pursed her lips in irritation as her shot landed true but the walkers continued to ignore her. She was going to be playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse if she drew too much attention. She couldn't think of a way to balance it out, unsure if she could split the group at all she crouched behind a stump and looked around.

She noticed the shotgun lying by the door of the vehicle but was hesitant to consider that an option. She had never handled a gun, she assumed it was just point and shoot but they required ammunition and she had no idea if making for the gun would help. It was dangerously close to the walkers too.

So, unable to think of a better option, she tried something else. Taking a deep breath she screamed, a fearful, pained yell followed by the shout, "HELP ME!"

Either the walkers or the occupants in the vehicle had to react to that...

Samindi

At Samindi's scream, the visible walkers turn their heads to look at her. A couple, unable to spot Samindi behind the stump, apparently decide that one hidden meal is as good as another and turn their attention back to the mobile home, hammering on the sides. Most, however, turn away from the vehicle towards the source of the scream, shambling across the road towards the trees. Though Samindi can't be sure if they've seen her yet, they will undoubtedly find her hiding space if she stays where she is.

Samindi still can't see much detail inside the RV, but she detects enough movement in the cracks of the windows to know its occupants definitely heard her, and are probably looking in her direction.

Samindi grinned, but her eyes widened soon after. That was probably too many, but if it encouraged the people in the vehicle to get out and fight then it would be worth it. She kept low and retreated back into the forest before taking another breath. "HELP ME! PLEASE!" she yelled once more, this time from further into the forest.

She tried to keep the mobile home in her view between the trees but her priority was keeping hidden from the walkers. Her stomach writhed with the effort she was putting into screaming, she did not feel good at all. Pushing down her illness she attempted to drag the walkers deeper into the trees before circling around back to the vehicle.

Samindi

At Samindi's second scream, the walkers remaining at the RV turn their heads again to track the sound. This time, the walkers already on the move seem to convince them, and most again break off to wander into the trees. She now sees only one still hammering on the side, though there may be more walkers on the other side of the RV where she cannot see.

Keeping low and hiding behind trees and other plants, Samindi avoids being spotted for now. However, the walkers are still looking around, trying to find their elusive meal. She is also getting further from the RV, and while the walkers lack the intelligence or teamwork to do so deliberately, the obstacles of the forest naturally lead them to spread out, blocking her off from it.

As Samindi continues to fall back, she sees the driver's side door to the RV slam open. With quick, frantic movements, a man reaches down and grabs the shotgun lying by the door.

Her plan was working for now, but the wall of undead blocking her off from the RV concerned her. She was pleased to note the occupants of the mobile home had used her distraction. She silently hoped that whoever it was wouldn't start blasting the undead, that could cause her problems if she was trying to creep back and a firefight rang out.

She wanted to loop back around so staying hidden between the trees and foilage Sami looked over the line of undead, looking for any gaps she could squeeze through. She nocked another arrow to her bow, she was willing to try and take a few down if it meant getting through easier, but her main priority was remaining hidden at getting back to the RV.

Samindi

The man looks out towards the Samindi, though she can't be sure whether he's trying to spot the person who was screaming or is just checking how far the walkers have moved. Instead of shooting, he grabs at the corpse jammed in the RV's wheelwell and tries to pull it out.

The walkers are spread out enough that she could try to move through them, but it would be a dangerous proposition. The fastest way would be to force her way through a gap, but she risks being grabbed along the way. She sees one or two walkers slightly more separated than the others; if she kills that individual one with an arrow, she can probably move through the gap they'd leave before they could close in and grab her, but if she misses, she's likely to be spotted. She could also try to sneak through using the underbrush as cover, but if she's detected, she may be surrounded. Finally, she could run a large detour around the group; this would be safest in the short term, but would take her the longest amount of time to get to the RV.

Trusting her instincts and not wanting to alert the walkers of her return to the vehicle Sami looks for the best path through the underbrush. It was a risk, but she did not want to have the RV take off again without her. From the looks of the actions of the man he had no immediate intentions past freeing the vehicle from the corpse. She was worried that if she took the long way then they would leave without her.

Keeping an arrow nocked she crouched low and slowly crept back through the line of walkers, keeping low between the trees and hidden amongst the bushes.

Samindi

Slipping through the line of walkers is a hair-raising experience. At one point, the nearest walker stops and turns its head with a snarl, seeming to detect Samindi despite her being sure it cannot see her and confident it hadn't heard her. Nonetheless, though it steps off its previous path, it can't seem to confirm her location, and she's able to slip away towards the RV.

The man is still trying to pull the corpse free. Bracing a foot against the side of the RV, he grabs an arm and yanks with all his might. With a cringe-inducing sound, it pops free of the shoulder joint and he falls to the ground on his back. He swears as a walker comes around the side of the RV from the opposite side, shambling towards him, and raises the shotgun to fire.

Sami let out a deep breath as she exited the treeline, she didn't know how long she had held her breath for while sneaking through the group. While the walkers terrified her she had always been careful when creeping past them. She had no idea what she would do if they every caught her. She held her stomach as it rumbled in irritation. As she appeared at the side of the road she frowned as she considered the man, for all the screaming she did it didn't look like he was trying to help her at all.

She grimaced and looked away as the arm came loose from the crushed walker but she almost laughed. Serves him right. Although her moment of brevity was replaced by panic as the man fumbled for the shotgun to attack the walker as it appeared around the corner of the RV.

Raising the bow and drawing the arrow to her cheek she loosed an arrow at the walker. The last thing she needed was this fool bringing the walkers back down on top of them after all the work she did getting rid of them.

Samindi

The man's head snaps towards the treeline, following the path of the arrow. One eyebrow climbs up his forehead when he spots her, his eye scanning up and down her fifty-eight inches in surprise.

"How many a'you are there?" he asks, turning back towards the wheelwell. He tries to work the butt of the shotgun between the tire and the chassis in an attempt to dig the corpse loose.

"If I can just get this body out, we'll be out of here. Grab a leg or something while I push!"

Sami walked over to the man, picking the arrows out of both walkers she had previously shot. "Just me. Don't worry about the screaming, I'm OK." Her stomach heaved again, "Just hungry and sick."

She dropped the arrows into her quiver as she approached the walker stuck in the wheel and crouched down beside it. The stench hit her harder than it would normally due to her already tender stomach. She turned her head away from the man and vomited. "Can't someone inside do this? I don't know how much help I'll be." She reached around the opposite end the man held and tried to give it a push.

If hauling a corpse meant she got a ride out her here and some help then it was a small price to pay. She wasn't happy about it but she was in no position to complain.

Samindi

"I figured," the man says simply. It sounds like he's being brief for the sake of saving time rather than deliberate curtness.

"Too dangerous," he says when Samindi mentions the people inside. Between the two of them, they're able to pry what remains of the body out of the wheelwell without trouble. At about the same time, however, another walker stumbles around from the other side of the RV. The man hesitates for a moment, looking like he's about to level the shotgun again, but moves for the RV's door instead.

"Thanks for the help," he says, opening the door. "We'll be outta your hair now. See ya."

Samindi frowned and darts after the man to the door, trying to step into the doorway to block it closing. "What the hell dude? I just saved your ass from 20 odd walkers and you're gonna bail on me?" She tries to get a look inside at who else was there. "If you're not gonna offer a ride out of here at least throw me some food and be on your way."

Sami couldn't believe it, she was getting angry and it was starting to show.

Samindi

"Oh, yeah?" asks the man, sounding genuinely surprised by Samindi's demand. "You want to come with?"

He stops, halfway in and out of the RV, and his eyes scan over Samindi again. The walker starts to moan as the man appears to run some quick mental calculations.

"Fine then. Get in." He bounds up the steps into the RV, leaving the door open for Samindi to enter after him.

Sami takes one step in after the man but pauses for a second on the first step. She may be sick but she's not stupid. She checks who else is inside before deciding whether to enter the RV or flee back into the trees.

Samindi

"What the hell?" demands a woman's voice from within the RV. "Who is this?"

Peeking towards the back of the RV, Samindi sees a middle-aged woman, who shoots her an angry look as soon as Samindi makes eye contact. Tucked into a seat, but peeking out the edge of a window, is a girl of Samindi's age or slightly older. She glances at Samindi, studying what little is visible from her position on the first step, before looking back out the window.

"You, get out!" the woman demands, then turns her attention to the man. "Answer me, Leonard! Who the hell is this?!"

"She's coming with us," Leonard says, settling into the driver's seat. He waves a dismissive hand over his shoulder without looking back. "Don't act like you weren't watching. She might've saved your life."

"How dare - what kind of man are you?!" the woman shouts. "You need a girl to protect you? You're supposed to be protecting us! We don't know her! What if she takes something? What if she - "

The woman cuts herself off, fuming, when it's clear Leonard is ignoring her. Outside, the walker moans loudly, while the woman fixes furious eyes on Samindi again.

Samindi grins briefly before trying to keep her face serious and steps inside, closing the door and locking the walker out. She was not expecting this. Between the man's haste at leaving her and the shotgun she thought this had the possibility to end up bad. A nagging woman she could handle. She would be on her best behaviour. She peeked back at the girl who was with the woman and gave a deliberately shy smile.

Stepping up into the cabin proper Sami looked to the woman, "Sorry ma'am, I haven't been well and needed some help. I won't be any trouble I swear!"

The meek girl standing before the woman was a polar opposite from the one spitting fire at the man outside. It looked like the woman called the shots, if Samindi had any chance of getting help it would be getting on her good side.

She dropped her eyes to the ground and hugged her bow close to her.

Samindi

The woman rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and scoffs under her breath. Whether this indicates she buys Samindi's performance or not is unclear. Nonetheless, she doesn't look ready to physically force Samindi out herself, and with Leonard unwilling to help, she can only steady herself against a countertop as the RV lurches forward.

A few moments after the RV starts moving, the girl leans back from the window and looks at Samindi again. Unlike the woman, she's not hostile, but curious.

It was good enough. She wasn't getting thrown out so as long as she was here perhaps some respite would help her. She didn't know, or care, where they were going. It was the direction she was travelling before she met them so it would be good enough.

She looked around for a place to sit that wasn't likely to upset the woman, failing that she would just sit on the floor. Putting her bow down next to her she looked up at the other girl and gave her a small wave. She didn't really want to get to know these people, she wasn't likely to be staying wth them long. So she sat silently and thought about the easiest way to get help; food or medicine, from them.

Samindi

Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, Samindi can feel the effects of her food poisoning resurfacing. The debilitating sensation in her guts grows, fatigue rapidly spreads through her body, and she feels simultaneously overheated and chilly at the same time. Her body is desperate to lie down and let this pass, if only that were possible.

The RV's quarters are cramped enough that sitting on the floor would block the aisle and probably upset the woman more. The most convenient and appropriate place for Samindi to sit is in the seat across the table from the teenager. The teenager watches as the older woman passes by, walking to the front of the RV to scold Leonard further. Once the woman is closer to Leonard than to Samindi, the teenager leans forward.

"Hola," she says quietly, almost a whisper. "Uh...hablas inglés?"

Samindi waits for the woman to leave and sits down at the dinette lounge across from the other girl. She sighed as she sat and crouched forward, trying to stifle the pain in her stomach. She collapses her head onto her arms, resting them on the table. A moment later, however, the other girl speaks.

Samindi rolls her head to the side so she can see the other girl. "What? No. I speak English." she whispers, just as quiet as the girl.

She rolled her head back towards the table, covering her eyes with her arms she let out a soft groan. "I feel sick..." she mumbled, considering a run to the toilet.