Nightshift 42: Morris Park

[coldest_blood]

It had been easy enough during the daylight to dismiss the idea of monsters as a mass hallucination or the result of some sort of psychotropics. Bond, standing in a bank of fog that had not been present just moments before, suddenly found it just that much harder to rationalize. The trees lining the park looked warped and twisted where their

Comments

[otnemememento]

[From here.]

Okay, here we are, thought Leonard as he kept his eyes on his surroundings. He could see shadows moving, and heard the calls of the undead coming from all directions. Great.

The trees hid what little light there was in the night, making it even harder to see. He walked briskly and looked for a path, a trail, any sort of way to follow that would lead them to the other side of this place. Being here any long than necessary is not a good idea.

[gald_digger]

Anise stuck close to Leonard as the two of them made their way into the park. Her little heart was still pounding after her last close call, and she definitely wasn't ready to fend off more monsters. The guy seemed willing enough to protect her though, so she supposed she ought to take advantage of that while she could

[otnemememento]

"Let's just say I've been in a few fights," Lenny responded, still watching the shadows around them. "I've learned to depend on myself. It's hard to trust anyone some-- " He cut off, halting his pace and listening. He couldn't tell where the gurgles and gasps and moans were coming from, and it was hard to tell if he'd heard something even more out of place or not.

"Thought I heard something," he said, deciding the latter. "I'm not trained, but I know how to throw a punch if I have to. Desperation and adrenaline help."

Leonard followed the path as best as he could see it. The noises from the creatures that roamed the city weren't far away, but there didn't seem to be any in sight, either. Probably not good. He fished through his pockets, fingering his journal before realizing there really wasn't enough light to merit even trying to look at it. Where's a flashlight or a lighter when you need it? There's the flash on my camera, but that'll just blind us and probably draw the attention of whatever-the-hell is out there."You

[gald_digger]

A lot of what Leonard said rang true for Anise's own life. Getting stronger out of necessity, not being able to trust anyone... Well, at least the guy had a decent amount of experience, both in combat and in life. Anise didn't want to think they were surviving through a string of flukes

[otnemememento]

"I don't really have a choice but to trust you at the moment, considering the circumstances," he answered truthfully, looking over his shoulder briefly. "Frankly, it's easier to watch for monsters with two sets of eyes."

Okay, so neither of us has a clue where we're headed. Great. He slowed his pace as she did, hearing rustling from both sides of the path. The sooner we get out of this park, the better.

He didn't have time to think long as two or three vaguely human-shaped creatures emerged from the shadows, gasping and garbling through their torn throats and rotted teeth. It was hard to tell their numbers- the suffocating darkness and fog made their shapes blend together as they approached. Leonard took a couple of steps backward, keeping Anise behind him as he readied his weapon.

"Fuck," he cursed as the shapes came closer. "Figures we wouldn't make it through here without incident. Maybe we can knock them down and make a break for it."

[gald_digger]

No hesitation, no weird look, no real sign of surprise. Boooo. Looked like this guy wasn't the sort that was easy to tease. Anise gave a small sigh, looking somewhat disappointed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she admitted. It was a pretty good answer, anyway. She might've been worried if the guy was too trusting or too suspicious.

Anise had to admit, she was a little surprised when Leonard moved to shield her once trouble came staggering along. After all, this was a Guardian getting guarded by someone else! But that wasn't all bad, in her view. Even though Leonard wasn't exactly a prince on a white horse, it felt good to have someone coming to her rescue, like she always dreamed about.

Still, Anise wasn't very good at the role of a damsel in distress. As much as she wanted to think she could leave everything to Leonard, it was hard for her to stand back and do nothing. "Knock them down? But against this many..." Well, they were all crowded together. Maybe she could manage something with her artes

[otnemememento]

Leonard watched the approaching shapes, still trying to gauge their distance and numbers. Not sure what good she can do with a few seconds, but what the hell. It'll take me longer than that to bash the hell out of these bastards, anyway.Without a word, Leonard went for the one he judged to be closest, swinging his weapon downward toward the creature's head. The sharp corner pierced the weakened skull of the zombie and stunned him, knocking him to the ground. This seemed like a minor victory until another zombie appeared from the fog behind the first, lunging toward Leonard and digging its jagged fingernails into his right arm. Leonard struggled, barely managing to keep the beast's gaping mouth from connecting with his wrist

[gald_digger]

Anise really wanted to use one of her shadow artes since they were her specialty, but she knew they probably wouldn't be very effective. Those were spells that drew on negativity and pain, and inflicted that dark energy on enemies. Not much good against monsters that didn't seem to feel pain in the first place

[otnemememento]

Just as Leonard was starting to lose his grip, monster on his left suddenly erupted in blinding light. He closed his eyes, opening them moments later to find the monster lying lifelessly on the ground. Even the one in front seemed a little dazed by the event, giving Leonard the chance to grab him by the neck and throw him to the ground. The zombie's grip on Leonard's arm was still strong, and left a few deep scratches through his shirt and skin. Lenny spit another curse as the zombie hit the ground, his face immediately crushed by Leonard's foot. He swore under his breath as the monster's movement stilled.

"What the fuck was that!?" Leonard asked as he turned around to face the girl. "Where did that light come from? What the fuck is going on here?" Fucking zombies and magic shit or something like she's some sort of fucking witch. Fuck, what is going on here? Leonard crammed his hands into his pockets for his notes again before realizing the futility of trying to read in the darkness. Fuck, I need my notes. Nothing makes

[gald_digger]

Whoa. Looked like there was a way to get under Leonard's skin after all.

Anise just stared back at the man with a surprised look when he snapped at her, but her smile came back immediately when he started to backpedal. So his world didn't have anything like her artes, huh? She thought most people at Landel's knew about that kind of stuff, though. He had to be new.

"It's called a fonic arte! I can explain it later if you want, but for now it's probably easier to think of it as something like magic." There wasn't time for a lesson with monsters still on the prowl. They had to keep moving.

Even after waiting a bit, the dizziness didn't seem to go away. It seemed like it was getting worse, even. Maybe once they cleared the park, they could take a breather. Not likely, but maybe. "They're out of the way now, so we should get going before more show up," she suggested.

[otnemememento]

Leonard nodded. "Yeah, let's move while we can." Got to keep moving. No time to stop and think. But... fuck, all of this is too much. He ran a hand through his hair, wanting to vent frustration, but knowing now really wasn't the time.

He started walking again, stepping over the bodies of the fallen zombies and finally making it to the edge of the park.

[otnemememento]

[To here.]