Ch1: Start of the Zombie Apocalypse

[Paro]

1800, Saturday March 30: Deltaville

---

The weather was decent on a spring Saturday evening in coastal Virginia. The news over the last couple of days was talking about a rise in flu cases that was out of the ordinary since it was March. But in the aftermath of COVID-19 no one was going crazy of the flu anymore and the media was not trying to weaponize it for political gain either.

For those following independent media, there was talk of it being another of those bio-engineered virus again. However, the average folk and main-stream media were not jumping on that bandwagon yet without more evidence. But there was no doubt that this late in the season strain was more virulent that previous years even if it was only slightly more severe in symptoms than average.

On General Puller Highway leading into the heart of Deltaville, was DeltaPie (delta-pie.com) a place where great food, wine, and beer is a tradition. In addition to their pizza menu, DeltaPie had many great food products that complemented their pizza, wine, and beers. They featured a diverse selection of palate-pleasing teasers – cheeses, cured meats, fabulous crackers, spreads, dips, nuts, chocolates, and local products. They had limited seating available in addition to on-premise beer and wine.

The place was fairly busy with about 10 total customers waiting in line. There was a TV playing and the local announcer was talking about a couple of crazy students at the nearby community college (Rappahannock Community College) running around without their clothes on. The on-site news reporter talking with the broadcaster was trying to dismiss the incident as college pranksters, but the interviewed citizen witness (a man wearing a flannel shirt and ballcap) shook his head. He interjected, "You are not listening. That dumb bitch started complaining about insects crawling all over her body before she ripped her clothes off. Then she tried to bite me!"

The station cut away from the on-location interview, staying with the in-studio broadcaster and her male companion as they dismissed the man as being some hick or rural rube that was prone to exaggeration.

A few of the other patrons were paying attention to the TV and the started checking their phones.

[sxeBUDDHA]

London James Thorpe

Wounds: 0/4 | Fatigue: 0/2 | Bennies: 3/3

---

Location: Inside Delta Pie | Conditions/Effects: None

As London waits patiently in Delta Pie, the aroma of freshly baked pizza wafts through the air, mingling with the lively chatter of fellow patrons. Despite the bustling atmosphere, he remains composed, his disciplined demeanor a testament to his commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

With his shift at Planet Fitness behind him, London takes advantage of the downtime to address the recent setback of his missing bicycle. Though he's not upset, the disruption to his orderly routine is certainly bothersome. As he munches on some energy trail mix, he reflects on the events of the day, wondering if his bicycle was stolen or simply misplaced.

Glancing at the clock, London notes that it's already 6 PM, yet there's still no sign of the others he's waiting for. In a small town like Deltaville, time moves at its own pace, and punctuality isn't always a priority. Nonetheless, London remains patient, trusting that his companions will arrive when they can.

Despite the convenience of modern technology, London has chosen to forgo owning a cellphone, preferring to live his life by a tried-and-true routine. However, as more people attempt to reach out to him, he can't help but feel tempted to reconsider his decision. Perhaps now, with so many people trying to get in contact with him, is the time to embrace a change and introduce a new element into his formulaic existence.

As London contemplates his options, he takes swig of his complimentary water, savoring its crisp freshness as it cleans his palate. Whether or not he decides to embrace the convenience of a cellphone, one thing is certain: his commitment to a healthy lifestyle and disciplined routine will remain unwavering, no matter what challenges or distractions may come his way.

Edited April 15 by Paro (see edit history)

[NorthOfOrdinary]

Madde Tiedemann

---

Maddie entered Delta Pie from outside. The sight of such a long line was slightly discouraging to the young woman. She had been waiting outside for almost ten minutes already, before deciding it was best to just go ahead and reserve a table for her and her old host family whom she was here to visit. Americans. Maddie had to ponder the irony. Her old host family had always been five minutes late to everything, as long as she had known them, and here she was still insisting on being punctual.

 

The petite college student quietly joined the queue waiting to be seated and pulled out her phone. She took a quick selfie and sent it to a friend through snapchat. A few minutes of scrolling through Instagram and Facebook and it was finally her turn. "Hallo," Maddie greeted the hostess. "Table for five, please." Her english was good when she kept it simple. This was something she had prided herself on for years, even if the German accent and the deliberate spacing of her words betrayed that it wasn't her native tongue.

 

She followed a waiter to the newly opened table and took a seat. She looked at the man at the next table over munching on trail mix and the faintest hint of a smile appeared on her normally stoic face. "Hungry?" Maddie laughed, sparking a friendly conversation with the stranger. "Normally people come here to eat pizza and not bring their own snack, yes?" It was strange behavior to her, but it was also kind of cool in a fun and dorky way. As she straightened out her black tennis dress, Maddie hoped that the man wouldn't mistake her attempt at dry humor as rude.

Edited April 15 by Paro (see edit history)

[EpentheticSchwa]

Kaia Kealoha

---

Kaia had been in front of the Pie for a few minutes before entering, making time for one last cigarette before dinner. She'd walked the whole way, nearly two miles, from the one hotel in town (the Deltaville Dockside Inn). The friend who had brought her to town had already moved on their way and the other that was meant to pick her up wouldn't be in for another couple of days. Even these minorly tough circumstances hadn't convinced Kaia to put a great deal of effort into anything, though. She'd walked those two miles in flip-flops, black-and-white checkered pajama bottoms, and a Stanford t-shirt she'd permanently borrowed from someone ages ago. Despite the utter lack of effort in dressing herself, she had at least bothered with makeup, albeit a fairly minimal routine, and her hair was just so, even if the style was intentionally messy. Even her least degree of caring included at least that much.

On the way over she'd dealt with an annoying amount of mosquitos, a random dog that somebody hadn't bothered to keep leashed, and a lot of people who weren't used to pedestrians. So by the time she made her way into the Pie, she was visibly annoyed, though the effect had been blunted somewhat by her third cigarette of the walk.

Stupid town. Stupid Xavier. Things would be a lot simpler if he'd just stayed a couple more days. Now I've got to walk my ass all this way just for a halfway decent meal. Don't know what these hayseeds eat most of the time, but this place is no dining destination. Couldn't even get a damn Uber Eats driver. Oh hey, that's that guy.

Kaia skipped the line to grab a takeout menu, then moved back to stand in line and plan her takeout order while she was waiting. She angled herself and held the menu in ways to avoid eye contact with...well, most anybody. But particularly London, who she had met at least once before. When her ears picked up talk of a police response, her eyes went to the TV for a minute or so, but it was just some silly teenage stunt.

Whatever. It's pepperoni time.

Edited April 15 by Paro (see edit history)

[GeminiX7]

Aike Anikwe

---

Aike checked his phone for the fifth time, hoping that he had missed the distinct notification
chirp of a newly recieved text or voice message. Unfortunately, aside from an unread message sent by his younger sister from more than a week ago, there had been no word from Malcolm.With an exasperated sigh, he made a few taps on his device and brought it to his ear. As it had three times before, the call went directly to voice mail.

“Hey Mal! Still haven’t heard from you, man! Did you get lost or something?” Aike ran fingers through his beard in a self-soothing fashion. It was extremely unlikely his old roommate had gotten lost, as Deltaville had been his home town and apparently this eating establishment had been one of his favorites prior to going to college. “Well, if you haven’t left home yet, please, please, please, don’t forget to bring your laptop. I’d hate for you to be the kind of ass whoforgets something like that before making the trip over here…”

Aike ended the voice message with a weak chuckle before disconnecting. Despite his joke he had in fact been the kind of ass who had left his laptop in his apartment all the way back in Georgia before making the trip to Deltaville. In his defense, he had forgotten that he had moved the laptop to his newly purchased laptop bag, and resorted to holding his tools in the old messenger bag. It wasn’t until he was almost halfway to Deltaville and had stopped to fill up therental car he drove in that he realized his mistake. Most of the files he might need would beavailable on the cloud, but he still felt a pang of annoyance at his own carelessness.

The harsh smell of recently burned tobacco brought him out of his mental self-flagellation as a young woman walked past him and into the pizza shop he stood in front of. No matter how many years he had spent stateside, it always caught him off guard how prevalent smoking was here compared to Nigeria, and the smell always struck him as too unpleasant to ever be worth taking up the practice.

 

Taking one last glance around his surrounding for Malcolm’s coupe, he decided to enter the pizza shop and get something to eat while he waited.

 

“Damn…” Aike uttered the curse as he noticed the line as soon as he entered the building.
When he first arrived he could have sworn that the queue had not been too long, but it seem his time spent reaching out to Malcolm had allowed more people to take a spot before him.

Figuring he’d have to wait awhile, he removed his olive colored, bomber-styled windbreaker and draped it across the messenger bag slung across his shoulders, and slightly adjusted the collar of the button-up shirt he had been wearing underneath. He caught a whiff of the same tobacco smell he had noticed before, and noticed the woman looking at what looked like the take-out menu.

 

Worried that he might lose his spot to newcomers if he went up to the counter to get one for himself, he tried to look over her shoulder to see what was available.

“Do they have jalapenos?” Aike asked the woman. He figured it would be pretty obvious to her that someone was peering over her shoulder, and wanted to avoid giving her the wrong idea about his intentions before the issue ever came up.

Edited April 15 by GeminiX7 (see edit history)

[OsmundCinderholt]

Vic had been walking aimlessly since about 1 o'clock when the trailhead spit her out at the end of the trek, and has been actively avoiding making any real plans for the 'what now'. Now that it was 6 PM, her rumbling stomach made the first, and frankly easiest choice in her near future; Dinner. Nigh on a month of eating nothing but backpacking MRE style meals and peanut butter on crackers made anything hot and not out of packet look appetizing, and no kind of long line would deter her.

The young woman looked a bit ragged, the wear and tear of the trail still apparent on her. Muddy boots, stale campfire smoke infused clothes, and the large 45 liter backpack on her back painted the picture that she was either homeless or super lost. In any case, seeing the line as it was, Vic thought to make a beeline for the bathrooms first.

Shrugging off her pack off her shoulders, then sort of awkwardly shuffling past the crowd she went into the Women's room. Once inside, Vic laid her pack against the wall and fished out a few things. First she grabbed her empty 1.5 liter nalgene bottle and put it on the sink's counter, then she fished out small ditty bag. Vic drew open the drawstring of the small bag and pulled out a bottle of Campsuds, the kind of all purpose biodegradable soap that she'd been using for washing her dishes/herself for the last month now.
 

Staring at herself in the mirror, Vic frowned as she saw who was looking back. Sighing, she turned on the faucet to hot and squirted out a fair amount of suds into her hands and began to wash her hands, then her face. The sink water ran dark with the dirt. Anyone else in the Lady's room would likely be appalled, but at this point Vic didn't care.

After grabbing a wad of paper towel to dry her hands and face, Vic once more looked in the mirror and mustered a quiet "I did it Pops... now what."

This whole trip was meant to be their last Father-Daughter outing before she went to college next year, but now...?

Now was time for pizza.

Filling her nalgene bottle from the faucet, Vic stuffed it back into her backpack and went out the door to stand in line finally.

 

Edited April 15 by OsmundCinderholt (see edit history)

[Paro]

1805, Saturday March 30: Deltaville

---

Service in the DeltaPie was going slow. The girl at the counter was overheard telling the customers at the front that they were really short-handed as two of the people supposed to be working were still sick with that flu going around. And a third had supposedly recovered and still did not show up today.

In her distraction on her phone, Madde had not paid close enough attention to the young woman's attire when she asked for a table and missed the strange look of annoyance. While the woman was wearing a DeltaPie shirt, it was a souvenir and not the official shirt like the staff wore. Instead of making a snappy or curt rebuke, the brown-hair woman smiled in demonstration of the epitome of southern hospitality, "Why bless your heart. Here, let me show you to a table." She stepped over to one of the empty complimentary tables with some chairs and gestured for Madde to take a seat. She even left her a take-out menu. Then she returned to her place in the line to wait her turn to order.

Aike's question from over her shoulder, drew Kaia's attention automatically to the Basic Toppings listed on the bottom left of the menu and there was jalapenos listed between pineapple and roasted garlic.

The TV program had shifted to another segment about the flu going around starting to really impact local businesses with employees needing to stay home. Some elementary schools had even cancelled classes this past week due to absences. The pundit was wondering again if the governor was going to push for public health officials to comment again on the dreaded social distancing and mask mandate policies of just a few years before.

[sxeBUDDHA]

London James Thorpe

Wounds: 0/4 | Fatigue: 0/2 | Bennies: 3/3

---

Location: Inside Delta Pie (sitting at table for 6)| Conditions/Effects: None

As London sits at the table in Delta Pie, his mind drifts back to the events of the past two years. The tragic crash that changed his life forever flash through his mind, accompanied by a pang of guilt for being the sole survivor. Despite the passage of time, the scars, both physical and emotional, still linger, a constant reminder of the price he paid for his service.

Feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety, London shifts in his seat, glancing at the entrance of the restaurant every few seconds in search of his friends from the Corps. He longs for their familiar presence, hoping that their camaraderie will provide a brief respite from the weight of his memories.

London sits at the table in Delta Pie, his mind drifting back to a fond memory of a previous meetup with Jake and Ryan. It was a warm summer evening last year, and they had decided to meet up at their favorite spot.

As London recalls the details of that day, a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the water, and laughter filled the air as they shared stories and jokes, their camaraderie unbreakable despite the passage of time.

Jake and Ryan had wasted no time in ordering drinks, the clink of glasses echoing through the bustling restaurant. With a chuckle, Jake had turned to London and had asked, "So when do you finally turn 21, buddy? It feels like you've been waiting forever."

London remembers laughing and shaking his head. "Not much longer now," he had replied. "Just another year until I can join you guys in celebrating properly."

Jake had brought his guitar along, and they spent the evening singing songs and reminiscing about their time in the USMC. For a few precious hours, the weight of London's memories and struggles faded into the background, replaced by the simple joy of being in the company of good friends.

As the memory fades, London's attention returns to the present, where he still waits for Jake and Ryan to arrive. Despite his reserved nature and the challenges he's faced since the crash, London knows that he's fortunate to have friends like Jake and Ryan who are skilled at forming quick relationships and seeing past his initial aloofness.

Though he may not be the type to actively pursue making friends, London's admirable traits shine through once someone gets to know him. And as he waits for his Marine buddies to arrive, he's grateful for the bond they share and the memories they've created together.

Edited April 19 by sxeBUDDHA
edited to fit storytelling rules (see edit history)

[sxeBUDDHA]

London James Thorpe

Wounds: 0/4 | Fatigue: 0/2 | Bennies: 3/3

---

Location: Inside Delta Pie (sitting at table for 6)| Conditions/Effects: None

Feeling a sense of disappointment as he realizes his Marine buddies are likely not going to make it, London glances around the crowded restaurant. His gaze falls upon the small blonde girl with a foreign accent, who had asked for a table of 5 earlier. With a resigned sigh, he decides to take action.

Leaving his backpack to save his table of 6, London approaches the girl with a polite smile. "Hi there," he says, catching her attention. "I overheard you were looking for a reserved table. I have a spot over there, because the people I was expecting are going to be a no-show. You're welcome to have it if you'd like."

As he waits for her response, London's mind wanders briefly to the university gym and the familiar faces he's seen there. "By the way," he adds, trying to make conversation, "aren't you in the Athletics department? I'm pretty sure I've seen you at the university gym."

Unbeknownst to London, earlier, when Madde first entered Delta Pie, she had made a friendly remark about his trail mix. However, lost in his thoughts and anxious about his late Marine colleagues and the three cute college girls he had invited, London was oblivious to Madde's humorous remark.

[NorthOfOrdinary]

Madde Tiedemann

---

Madde looks up from her menu at the man as he approaches. "Thank you. My group hasn't arrived yet either though." She flips over her menu, feeling bad that his friends didn't show up for him. "You can join us when they get hear if you'd prefer. My name is Madde."

The young woman extends the man a small hand to shake. That was another thing that always surprised her about the United States - people were so forwardly friendly. She had always thought the rest of the world should give it a try too.

"Do you go to the University of Richmond too?" Madde asks, smiling at the question. "We should work out together some time."

[sxeBUDDHA]

London James Thorpe

Wounds: 0/4 | Fatigue: 0/2 | Bennies: 3/3

---

Location: Inside Delta Pie | Conditions/Effects: None

As Madde introduces herself, London returns her friendly smile, grateful for the chance to make a new acquaintance in this bustling pizza joint. "Nice to meet you, Madde," he says warmly, extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm London."

As they exchange pleasantries, London shares a brief glimpse into his life in Deltaville. "I'm on Virginia's G3 program for Exercise Science at Rappahannock Community College," he explains, his tone tinged with a hint of pride. "I live on a nearby farm owned by my uncle."

His expression grows more somber as he continues, recounting the challenges he's faced since his time in the USMC. "My aptitude test scores aren't good enough for University of Richmond after my accident," he admits, his voice trailing off momentarily. "But I'm determined to make the most of my situation and get back on track."

With a sudden burst of energy, London gives a hearty shout of "Hoorah!" expressing his dutiful service in the military. "I did extremely well prior to it," he continues, his tone turning more introspective. "But I lost my... my, my memory." He chuckles, though there's a hint of sadness behind his laughter. "Yeah, my memory and got medically discharged with full disabled benefits of a sergeant. I lost a few of my good friends along with my memory in that overseas helicopter accident."

London's candor catches him off guard, and he quickly tries to lighten the mood. "Sorry," he apologizes sheepishly. "I tend to forget how to moderate myself in social circles. Anyhow, I'm getting rehabilitated to get better like I was previously. But it's like starting all over."

Despite the weight of his words, London finds himself drawn to Madde, admiring her fitness and vitality. "I can't drive yet. Nor drink," he admits with a rueful smile. "But during the summer, I usually work at Planet Fitness. Where do you go here for your workouts?"

[EpentheticSchwa]

Kaia Kealoha

---

Kaia isolated herself within the confines of the menu until she felt and then immediately heard someone sort of looming over her shoulder. Before she even really registers anything about the person behind her, she instinctively moves away a smidge, but once the words catch up, she rotates and holds up the menu to give Aike a look as well. "Uh...yeah, looks like. Doesn't say if they're fresh or canned, though."

With her attention up away from the menu for a moment, she spares a glance toward Vic, who looks rather out of place to her eyes. But then, so does Aike. Kaia puts on a personable smile at Aike and asks, "Your first time here, too, huh? They doing some kind of deal? Seems real popular just now. Guess you don't get too much good to eat in a place like this."

Kaia returns her attention, ostensibly, to the menu, "The f***'s an Italian mushroom? No way they're importing mushrooms for pizza. They've got a LOT of shit, though. Pickles and barbecue pork? Yes, please!" She switches to a grumble, then, which promptly grows into a full-throated complaint, even though she's barely given Aike a chance to speak at this point, "Least this place has something going for it. You know--You know, my friend told me this place was basically like Virginia Beach. Asshole. It's Virginia and there's a beach, technically, but c'mon. Place is bullshit."

Thinking a bit belatedly that it's a conversation and not just an opportunity for her to complain to somebody, she throws out: "What brings you around? You don't look like a local, no offense."

[Paro]

1810, Saturday March 30: Deltaville

---

The service at the DeltaPie was still bogged down. But the customers were suddenly finding themselves distracted by other things.

A young woman in line near the counter, the same brown-haired one that helped Madde, looked at her phone when it pinged, and pinged, and pinged again. "Oh my god!"

"Celia just texted me a pic. Look, it is Mrs. Smithers chasing Jimmy Cartwright down the street," she said showing her friend and talking loud enough for nearly everyone to hear.

Her friend, who was looking rather annoyed as he overheard Kaia bashing their town but had not yet retorted, checked out the picture. "No shit! She is naked!... Hey, that is only just down the road."

The woman started replying on her phone again, the rapid clicking of speed texting her reply. It dinged a reply, "Oh, Celia says the old lady was kray-kray, like she wanted to bite him."

They both looked to the front windows, then each other. The quickly got out of line and headed to the front. A few others turned and followed, probably hoping to see the potential spectacle.

[NorthOfOrdinary]

Madde Tiedemann

---

"I'm not here very often, so I usually-" Madde finds herself cutting off at the sudden disturbance elsewhere in the restaurant. "Did she say 'naked'?"

Against her better judgement, Madde too gets up and walks over to the front windows. She looks to see if she can see what is causing the commotion. It wasn't everyday that a naked person was trying to bite their neighbors. She pulled out her phone in case it was worth recording.

[sxeBUDDHA]

London James Thorpe

Wounds: 0/4 | Fatigue: 0/2 | Bennies: 3/3

---

Location: Outside Delta Pie | Conditions/Effects: None

 

As London notices Madde's attention drifting away from their conversation towards the restaurant window, his curiosity piques. Following her gaze, his eyes widen in shock as he sees a naked woman bearing her teeth and hands, chasing after a student on the street outside.

Without hesitation, London springs into action. "I got this," he says to Madde, determination flashing in his eyes as he grabs a thick leather jacket hanging on the back of a nearby chair and an umbrella from the holder at the pizza joint entrance.

With practiced precision, London maneuvers the umbrella in his hand, noting the curved handle that will serve his purpose well. He knows that time is of the essence, and he needs to act quickly to bring the situation under control.

As he steps outside, his military training kicks in, and he assesses the situation with a calm demeanor. The naked woman appears slow and uncoordinated, likely under the influence of drugs or suffering from some form of dementia. Drawing on his experience as a Military Police officer in the USMC, London knows how to handle individuals not in the right frame of mind.

With a swift motion, he uses the curved handle of the umbrella to trip the woman, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Moving swiftly, he covers her with the thick leather jacket, ensuring that she is not exposed to further harm or embarrassment.

London's actions are swift and decisive, and he handles the situation with professionalism and compassion. Despite his training in subduing individuals, he takes care to ensure that the woman won't sustain many bruises or injuries from his intervention.

Turning back to Madde with a reassuring smile, London gestures for her to stay inside the restaurant where it's safe.