Devil's Tower

WHO: Izzy and Blaze
WHAT: She has an idea that she wants to share
WHERE: The halls of the hospital
WHEN: Late afternoon, after the start of the rain
RATING: PG?
STATUS: Incomplete

( A hop, skip and a jump )

WHO: Sensei and Blaze
WHAT: Pillow talk and a morning after (after a rather...eventful evening, that is)
WHERE: Sensei's room, in his bed
WHEN: Friday morning
RATING: TBD
STATUS: Incomplete // Closed

( He didn't know how he'd ever been happy sleeping alone )

WHO: Izzy and Blaze
WHAT: Nostalgic thoughts and seeing old friends
WHERE: The abandoned fair-grounds
WHEN: Week 21 - Saturday afternoon
RATING: TBD
STATUS: Incomplete // Closed

( 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, Did gyre and gimble in the wabe )

Who: Blaze and Hazard
Where: the hospital
When:What: Hazard needs advice.
Rating: TBA

What a rotten couple of days. Hazard had spent most of his time in his room, only emerging for bathroom breaks and grabbing food to take back with him. It was only after a while that he managed to get the courage and inclination to search for Blaze. A while had passed since they had a good heart to heart and he really needed his older brother's advice. There was a good chance that Blaze would tease him, but it was his first crush. Blaze had more relationship experience than he did, not that he'd been in a relationship at all.

Darn emotions. He hadn't expected to like anyone the way he did with Kentucky, although it didn't matter anymore. He lost because he was too young and he wasn't her type. It hurt, but he wasn't surprised about that part. What was he supposed to do now? She was in a small tribe in confined spaces and they were bound to run into one another eventually. Hazard started to look for his brother in the hospital and hoped to some higher power that he'd find him soon - said power must have a sick sense of humor, unfortunately.

Finally, he found him in one of the hallways by the cafeteria. Now or never. "Blaze," he called out. "Can I talk to you?" He hoped that the tone of his voice would indicate that it was important.

Who: Members of the Wolves, the Carrion, and their guests.
Where: Outside at Watershed Farm
When: Saturday afternoon and into the evening
Why: The Wolves and Carrion are having a picnic

((OOC: Please put your characters name and the other characters they are tagging into the subject line of your post. If your character's post is open or a narrative, put that in the subject instead.))

The partnership between the Wolves and the Carrion was really an coincidental one. During the second war of Sundance, the Mountain Lions had claimed the city and forced the Carrion out of their home. The tribe had no choice but to seek out the Wolves for protection. There was no way they would have been able to stand up to the Mountain Lions alone, and the Wolves were more than happy to take in the extra helping hands. Their victory had been slow, and mostly due to the Jackals having wiped out the Mountain Lion leadership; however, the Wolve and Carrion still had a lot to be proud of.

Since peace once again settled over Sundance, the two tribes had made an alliance to share resources, protection, and help one another rebuild the city. They'd come a long way and since Grey's birthday was coming up a picnic had somehow come together. It wasn't really clear whose idea it had been, but eventually it turned out to be quite the event. Tables had been set up in one of the greener fields nearest the farm house and every member of the two tribes had pitched in in one way or another. There was plenty of food set out, organized games, pony rides, face painting, and more. Pluse, there was even music provided by the Wolves's very own Dusty Rhodes.

The alliance between the Wolves and Carrion was perhaps more of an advantage to the Carrion than it was to the Wolves, but having a genuinely united city was a tremendous step in the direction that Wolf and the other leaders wanted to head in.

Who: Blaze and Junk
Where: Sundance Cemetary
When: Late Wednesday Afternoon
Why: Blaze finally tries to deal with Tootles' death and runs into Junk, cue drama.

Blaze had lost the drowning feeling that had consumed him during the war on the day that he talked to Sensei and Hazard about everything. Yet, despite being able to carry on a somewhat normal life, the death of his son hung like a fog over his heart. Often, after Sensei had fallen asleep beside him that day in the alley would roar up before him like a horror movie he couldn't help but watch over and over again. Even when he closed his eyes he could see the bloody, broken body of the boy. And Junk's screams.

The last week or so he'd been asking around town and at the Trading Post about where he could find the grave of his son. He'd gotten a smart ass tip from someone to check the graveyard and at first he'd put it off. It had been awhile since anyone had used the Sundance Cemetary but it was worth a shot. Still, it took him two whole days to decide to actually visit the grave.

It was late Wednesday afternoon that he was able to make some excuse and slip from the Hospital to search the graveyard. The sky was overcast, a perfect reflection of his mood. It wasn't until he reached the broken gate of the cemetary that he realized he was trembling. This was the biggest issue in his life right now and he knew he had to deal with it somehow or it would drive him crazy. Sensei was always there to listen, but there were some things he just had to do all by himself.

He put his hands in his pockets and snuggled into his leather jacket. He walked the rows and rows of graves for at least forty five minutes before he found anything, and it wasn't a headstone that had caught his attention but a distinctly crafted angel sculpture that could be no one elses work except for Junk's. He swallowed the lump in his throat and read the hand carved headstone from a distance. Keegan Alexander Heart He'd only seen the name once before, in the undelivered letter he'd found in Junk's desk.

He just stood there a moment, unable to do or feel anything. The cemetary was silent except for the wind in the trees. He walked closer and reached down to run his hands over the middle name of his son, his own real name. He closed his eyes for a long time before the dam inside of him broke and he was washed in tremendous feelings of guilt, sorrow, regret and terror. Guilt from not being able to save him. Sorrow from the loss of it all. Regret that he hadn't known sooner and hadn't been a father. Terror for the horrific way in which the boy had died while Blaze was only able to stand there.

He kneeled on the grave, with his upper arm across the top of the headstone and his forehead resting on his arm and Blaze cried in a way that he hadn't done since he was a child.

WHO: Sensei and Blaze
WHAT: Sensei's in his room thinking about the leader meeting, Blaze happens upon him
WHERE: The hospital, Sensei's room
WHEN: Thursday afternoon
RATING: TBD
STATUS: Incomplete // Closed

( Something just didn't feel right... )

WHO: Sensei and Blaze
WHAT: Some long overdue time together
WHERE: The Hospital - the stairs near the main entrance
WHEN: Late Thursday Night
RATING: TBD
STAUS: Incomplete // Closed

( Distance makes the heart grow fonder, at least that's what they say )

Who: Blaze and Hazard
Where: The roof of the hospital
When: Thursday late afternoon
Why: Blaze and Hazard do some catching up after the war

Blaze was exhausted to the core. The last month had been like hell on earth, with the war...and especially with the death of Tootles. It wasn't like he was particularly close to the kid, but that didn't make anything easier; in fact, in some respects it made things that much harder. During the war he'd taken any mission that the Wolves would give him, anything to take his mind off of the things that he'd seen in that alleyway.

Over the last few weeks he felt like he'd lost touch with himself, and most importantly with the people that he cared about the most - his brother and Sensei. Sensei and his relationship had become distanced, distracted and almost void of the exciting warmth that new relationships always had. He'd let so many things come in the way of him and the people that he still had. The truth was that the whole Tootles incident had left him in a cold shock. The past few years he'd managed to move past the trauma of the virus and burying his friends and family, but that day in the alley was too clear a reminder of the fragility of the life that they had in Sundance.

Since the mysterious retreat of the Mountain Lions, the Wolves had begun their work to rebuild the city. Blaze had spent every second of his waking hours repairing things, moving debris, bodies, anything that needed to be done to return some semblance of normality to their town.

It wasn't until late Thursday afternoon that he felt he couldn't go on anymore without some kind of break. He climbed to the top of the hospital that they'd called home for the last three years. When he reached the roof he laid down on the hot cement and stared up at the clouds. Eventually his vision became blurry with the tears that had built up in his eyes.

***OOC: Be sure to label the subject line of every post with either "Open" or the names of the chars that are involved in a particular thread! This will help eliminate confusion and let you know what threads are up for grabs!***
Who: Anyone and everyone who’s in Sundance at the time!
What: St. Patrick’s Day/Spring party!
Where: The Trading Post
When: Saturday
Why: Because it’s fun!

In the warmer months the Trading Post is almost always busy, full of drifters and members from every tribe who come there to barter, socialize, and a whole host of other things. It’s generally a peaceful place since it exists in neutral territory and everyone who comes there seems to have an understanding of an unspoken truce. The Trading Post is a large park the sits on the banks of the Belle Fourche river. There are picnic tables, a delapidated swingset and monkey bars, old grills, and of course trader stands. There’s also a dock there, but it is understood to belong to the River Runners, as it’s where they are docked most of the year and those wishing to use it usually have to give the RR a token of some kind, or at least ask nicely.

The St. Patrick’s Day/ Spring party was not planned or hosted by any tribe. The whole things seemed to have come about on its own, first as a rumor and then with complete strangers and tribe members alike planning for it. Saturday morning the place was busy with people decorating in any way that they could. The place was strung with streamers of all different colors, some torn and ratty. There were candles, and lanterns strung about and a few different musicians set up throughout the park. By the time the sun set the park was teaming with people, more people than it had seen in years. Between the boos and the open admission there was no telling what the night would hold.

Who: Blaze and Open to all Carrion
What: Blaze tries to orchestrate a clean up of their territory
When: Wednesday
Where: Outside the front of the post office, a block from the hospital

Blaze had thrown himself into a myriad of projects for the tribe in an attempt to forget the truth that he’d discovered in Junk’s desk drawer last Saturday. Despite his need to forget the letter had been transferred to the pocket of whatever pants he was wearing. Even now, as he sat on the steps of the post office it was there in his right pocket. He’d told everyone, except for Sensei, to meet him out front where he’d spent the majority of the morning gathering old trashcans, buckets, anything he could find and lining them up on the stairs.

He hadn’t told Sensei about the project because he was sure that there would be some sort of objection on his part. Blaze was hoping to have a good deal of the work done before Sensei realized that everyone was outside, so that Sensei could see for his own eyes the good that it would do for the tribe. His relationship with Sensei had been going well, and was to Blaze’s knowledge, still a secret to the rest of the tribe. If anything, his discovery of the letter had bettered his romantic relationship with Sensei in whose arms he sought refuge from the newly resurrected demons of the past.

Blaze waited until a decent amount of the tribe had shown up. “All right everyone,” He stood up and slapped the bottom of one of the cans to get everyone’s attention. “Just because we live in secret doesn’t mean we have to live like animals. Some of the other tribes around here seem to look at the south as an open dump and I personally don’t want to live in a dump. There’s trash everywhere, and while I know it’s unrealistic to clean up our entire section of the city we can at least clean up the hospital and our main block.” There were a few groans. “Hey, it won’t be so bad and you never know what you might find.”

He grabbed a bucket and walked down a few steps to hand it to a smaller tribe member. “Littler kids pair up with someone older all right? Everyone grab a bucket or whatever and do what you can. We’ll shut it all up in a house south of here so it’s at least in one place and not blowing all over.”

Who: Blaze ((Narrative))
What: Blaze is snooping through Junk's place and finds something unexpected that changes everything.
When: Saturday afternoon
Where: Junk's abode

Blaze was making plans to clean up the city and so he needed some tools. He remembered the pointed sticks that his fellow carnival workers had used to gather trash and he figured something like that might at least help the younger kids who couldn’t move the heavier pieces of debris and trash. There was only one place for him to go looking for such a thing and that was Junk’s place.

He generally avoided Junk and her son like the plague but sometimes necessity called. They had a history together that most of the time Blaze proffered to forget. He wasn’t sure what the rest of the tribe knew about said relationship but he was sure that Hazard was the only one who had any kind of conception of the truth. There was a sense of tremendous guilt that settled onto Blaze every time he was around Junk and Tootles. He couldn’t, or rather wouldn’t, place his finger on the cause of it. In his mind he parred it down to a bad break up and a general dislike of small children- especially small children that clung to you like death when you were around and kind of looked like…

No, that was territory that he wasn’t willing to go into.

He hated using the sewer to travel but he’d never quite succeeded in befriending Junk’s dogs and it was better for the other Carrion to keep a low profile when traveling to and from Junk’s place. He normally brought his brother with him to Junk’s but Hazard was nowhere to be found that afternoon and his brother had been rather terse with him lately. So he traveled the sewers alone that morning, attempting to kick rats that were too slow to get out of his way. It was a fairly long walk and the few lights that still worked down there weren’t the most reliable so there was a lot of flickering and buzzing. Blaze always felt like he was walking onto the set of some monster movie when he was down there. Then there were always the booby traps that Hazard and Hollywood had set up along the way. Every Carrion was well versed in where the traps were and how to avoid them but they were still a danger.

When he finally reached the tunnel that lead up to Junk’s he climbed the bar ladder that Junk had welded and installed herself until he reached the wooden man-hole cover. He knocked and waited, then knocked and waited again. After a few minutes he retrieved a blunted letter opener from his pack and popped the latch from the outside. He threw his bag in first then pulled himself up into Junk’s back room. He shut the manhole cover behind him, no use in giving the rats another way inside.

“Hey Junk, are you here?” He called out and shouldered his bag once again. “Junk?” He left the backroom and knocked then entered every room in the house without finding her or the kid. He returned to the living room and looked around with a contemplative sigh. He didn’t want that long walk to have been for nothing. He made his way to one of her many indoor workshops and poked around in there for awhile for anything that they could use as pokey sticks for the trash but he found nothing. His best bet probably would have been to go outside but that was where the dogs were and he didn’t feel like putting up with them on his own.

( He walked back through the house one more time but just as he was about to open the door to the back room he turned and paused. )

WHO: Sensei and Blaze
WHAT: One's brooding, the other is homeward bound
WHERE: The Hospital
WHEN: Early evening,
RATING: R // NC-17ish...apparently they're really happy to see each other

The winter had passed far too slowly for Sensei's liking. Everything combined...the cold, the dwindling amounts of supplies and, personally for him, missing Blaze...it was all just too much. It made the days pass by at a sluggish pace and made it all the better when winter passed into spring. Things were better than they had been, but not enough for the Carrion to be better off than how they'd began. He wasn't sure just what else to do, most especially since a voice of a certain someone kept echoing in the back of his mind. Criticism after criticism after criticism. Blaze had been the one to insist that what Sensei was doing wasn't best for the tribe as a whole. The one who quite possibly had ideas to help the Carrion and make things better. But now that he was gone, the lonely leader was on his own in the decision making.

Then there was the fact that he'd missed Blaze in another sort of way. That time they'd been stuck in the basement had been on his mind just about every day. He'd loved the way it felt, his and Blaze's bodies so close. And then, of course...the kiss. The first and only kiss they'd ever shared and yet was a window for the mind to imagine what could stem from just that one kiss. The lust and general sexual frustration had not been displaced. In fact, if anything, it had only grown over the winter months. Sensei wanted Blaze rather badly. The only problem was, he didn't know if the feeling was mutual. Or if Blaze was ever even coming back.

Sensei was lounged at the base of the stairs on the first floor, just thinking. Thinking and brooding. Things were so different now, at least for him. Because there was a piece missing. There was no way of knowing if things would be whole ever again. Perhaps it was better to forget, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Especually after being around the one you were supposed to forget about for so long.

He chuckled to himself, the sound humorless. "Sensei, man...you are so pathetic. Who would have thought just one guy would end up making you feel like this?" Another chuckle.

"Pathetic."

Who: OPEN to all Carrion!
What: The Carrion Christmas party
Where: The South Side Hospital cafeteria
When: Thursday morning and throughout the day


Their limited food supplies had been damaged earlier in the week which had only succeeded in scaring the children and strengthening tension between Blaze and Sensei. If they were to run out of food there would be no other option other than to ask one of the other tribes, and to do that without revealing who they were was a dangerous thing. On the other hand, the other tribes would be less likely to hand out food to every wandering drifter than they were to another tribe, even if that tribe was rumored to be crazy, and on occasion, cannibalistic.

It was these things that plagued Blaze’s mind as he laid awake in his room, hours before dawn. Once it was light for at least an hour Blaze dressed and dragged himself down to the cafeteria where their Christmas party was to happen, despite the horrible situation they found themselves in. When he arrived there was Christmas music scratching out from a cd that was set on repeat in a rather pathetic looking CD player in the far corner of the room. The music echoed rather pitifully in the big cafeteria. Most of the Carrion were playing tag at the far end of the room, or dancing or socializing amongst themselves.

There were scattered decorations, if one could justify calling the tattered streamers and left over birthday decorations symbols of Christmas. He had no gifts for anyone this year, though there was small pile on one of the tables that appeared to be gifts. Who they were for Blaze could not tell, for he’d stopped at the door and leaned against the threshold, watching the festivities before him with a disgusted look on his face.

Who: Blaze and Hazard
What: They leave town in search of better things
Where: The South Side Hospital and the open road
When: Friday morning, early

***OOC: Maren my dear, if this is not ok let me know!

Some would say that it was a suicide mission, but it was just what Blaze had been looking for, what he needed. His brother had approached him with the idea on Christmas and although Blaze was at first critical he’d changed his mind rather easily. It was a way to get out of the hospital, to get away from the awkwardness that was being around Sensei, and it was a chance to do something good for the tribe.

Hazard had said he had the whole thing planned out so Blaze put his blind faith in his younger brother. He’d packed a few things and put on all the warmest things he owned. At least the snow had stopped for now, and when dawn broke Blaze made his way down the stairs to wait in the freezing front lobby for his brother. He hoped that Hazard would be quiet about this whole thing like he’d asked him to, but there was not telling. Hazard had much more respect and devotion to Sensei than Blaze did.

Blaze leaned against the freezing glass of the front doors and closed his eyes. They had a long journey ahead of them. At least his burned hand was by now, more or less healed and he was somewhat able to use it. He only wished he had a gun, or something, maybe a car, anything that would make this trip a little easier, a little more sane.

Who: Blaze, Hazard & OPEN to Carrion!
Where: the Hospital
When: late afternoon
What: Party!

Hazard made sure that everything was in place before his brother arrived. For an important occasion such as Blaze's birthday, he took it upon himself to arrange a party. After all, Alex was going to be old now and more at risk. Hazard did not like the thought of losing his brother and tried to push it out of his mind as he inspected that the food he placed was free from rat nibbles. Recently more of them found their way into the hospital and Hazard spent part of the day killing as many as he could and setting up makeshift rat traps. They might not work, but at least he was doing something to help.

Preparations were more difficult than he thought and involved Hazard sneaking out of the hospital and scrounging around for anything that he could use for the party food or a birthday present. In one of the houses, he'd found a Swiss army knife hidden in a forgotten corner of a dresser and couldn't believe his good luck. He polished it the best he could and hurried into the cold to return to the Hospital. It had been so busy for the both of them that they didn't have much time to spend together, but this birthday party was going to make up for it.

He spread the word to all the Carrion to join the party if they wanted and especially hoped Mouse would arrive later. She liked both boys, didn't she? Just in case, Hazard combed his hair extra well and cleaned his face and teeth as much as he was able. The sight of him in his smart clothing which he saved for very special occasions was going to be as much of a surprise as the actual party for Blaze, he hoped. Knowing the tribe, his brother probably knew about it already. He had to think positively, though! Yes, this was going to be excellent.

Who: Blaze and Sensei
What Blaze and Sensei get locked in the boiler room o.o
Where: Boiler room in the basement of the South Side Hospital
When: Late Sunday afternoon to Monday evening.


Blaze sat on the edge of the queen mattress that he drug up to the top of the hospital a year or so ago. Even before he had that matress he had refused to use the hospital beds. There was something way too morbid about sleeping in a hospital bed when he wasn't sick. Not to mention the fact that his mother had died in one... He had just finished cleaning and re-wrapping his hand. It was healing nicely but it was still very tender and the slightest movement still hurt him. He yawned and glanced in the direction of his makeshift window. It was mostly intact except for a part that had been smashed out. He'd managed to cover the hole with a few large black garbage bags and tape them down. It worked fairly well even if it was ugly.

Despite the mostly intact windows he had in his top floor room the place was still freezing and the snow didn't look as though it was going to stop anytime soon. He was still itching for something to do and being trapped in the hospital for three days left him feeling like Jack Nicholson in that Stephen King movie. All work and no play makes Blaze a dull boy. If only he could have found a tennis ball, and perhaps an ax. That could certainly add some excitement to his life. He fell back onto his bed and stared at a vent in the ceiling. A vent. A vent meant heating and cooling did it not? They had electricity so there had to be some way of turning on or fixing the damn system.

He drug himself up off of the bed and rummaged through the cabinet that served as his closet. All he was able to find in his stash was a hammer and a wrench. He knew next to nothing about handy man work, and even less about heating and cooling. As far as he knew no one else in the Carrion knew anything either. However, he'd thought of the perfect way to bother Sensei and perhaps gain some source of entertainment for awhile. Holding the wrench and hammer with his good hand he made his way down the hallways and stairs that led to Sensei's room. He wasn't sure if he'd be in there but it was on his way downstairs so it was logical to check there first. Blaze knocked on the door rather rudely with the butt of the wrench. "Hey Sensei, konichiwa, man you in there?"

Who: Libby and anybody/everybody!
What: Library Winter Slumber Party
When: Early Tuesday Evening
Where: Sundance Library

The shelves looked nice enough to the untrained eye; everything had been righted and the books put back up somewhat close to where they belonged. with her arrival Saturday, Libby really did not have all that much time to set her beloveds in their proper order, but the fact that they were off the floor gave her some comfort. With that task out of the way, she had spent the day shoving desks and chairs against the walls to make enough room on the upper floor for everyone to congregate, or at least enough room for the attendees to establish little territories to keep some stability. To say Libby felt nervous would have been a great understatement. She was eager to bring all the tribes together, but knew such a thing would not happen easily. Who could guess what would happen that evening, or if anybody besides her own tribe would show up.

Though she had requested that everyone bring their own provisions and sleeping materials, Libby had gathered what extra blankets, pillows, and food she could get. With winter already upon them (and it wasn't looking too bright either), they had to be careful not to be too lenient with their rationing. Then again, how could she expect the other tribes to trust the Wolves if they were stingy with their own supplies? For their little world to remain safe, everyone would need to cooperate. It would only take one weak link to destroy everything they had built.

Rolling up the sleeves of her cream turtleneck sweater, she made a simple sign on a white piece of paper, which read, "All are welcome!" and stuck it to the glass of the front door to the library. Then, with an old shawl wrapped around her shoulders, Libby paced the rows of bookshelves, reorganizing the books into their proper order, and waited for her guests to arrive. "If tempers raged and a fight broke out, at least the activity would keep everybody warm should the heating fail," her queer sense of humor pointed out. That was a main point, after all: work together, keep warm.

Who: Sensei and Blaze
What: They're stuck inside because of the blizzard
Where: The Hospital
When: Late afternoon
Rating: TBA (there might be fighting involved)

Snow, snow and more snow. When you looked out the windows of the South Side Hospital, or rather lack of windows, all you saw was white. There was pretty much nothing else to be seen. It didn't help that they could feel the cold. With most of the window being broken or not there at all, there were more cold places in the hospital than warm ones. Most of his tribe could be found huddled in groups near the heat and those groups were spread around the entire place. Keeping to the warmth. Sensei was sitting with his sister and a few of her closest friends in one such group. They were chattering away, despite the conditions. Sensei, however, was too caught up looking out the window and into the endless white.

It had snowed back in Tokyo, but never like this. It was never enough to confine his family to the house. But, he and Noriko weren't living there anymore, were they? The cozy home that they remembered had been replaced by a drafty old hospital. Their parents and family had been replaced by other parentless people like them.

Not exactly the most pleasant switch.

He was also thinking about things he should have done before this big blizzard hit. Like try and repair some of the windows. He could have tried getting some guys together to board some of them up or at least get them covered so the place wasn't so damn drafty. That way, it wouldn't have been so cold and they wouldn't have had to huddle up so much. Kind of like the rats in the sewers.

But that was what it took to keep people from getting to them. It kept everyone safe, keeping to themselves as they did. Though...not everyone agreed with him on that subject. And by not everyone, he meant Blaze. Sensei had had multiple fights about it with him already. And no doubt there would be more. They were both stubborn. Extremely stubborn, even, when it came to defending their points.

Sensei got up, smiling at his sister, and started to wander off a bit. It was still pretty warm when he got to the hallway. He leaned up against the wall, running a hand through his hair and sighing a bit. "I hope this damn snow ends soon..."

Who: Blaze and Ruby
What Blaze gets himself in some trouble and Ruby finds him!
Where: A couple miles from town near the south-western banks of the Belle Fourche
When: Monday early afternoon



Blaze loved days when he was able to sneak out before his brother and the others awoke. Mornings like this he avoided the curious questions from his brother and the untrusting gaze of Sensei. God, it was like every time he went out it was a game of twenty questions. What did they think he was going to do anyway? All he wanted was some of his own time to explore. Most of the people in the Carrion were of a younger persuasion and they had a tendency to get on his last nerve. It wasn't that kids bothered him, he just didn't want to be around them all of the time.

He left the hospital at dawn in the warmest clothes he had: jeans, t-shirt and a black hoody. Needless to say they didn't do much to keep out the biting wind and the threat of an oncoming snow storm but it was more than some people had and he was grateful for that. He often wondered why it was Wyoming they had to be stranded in? Couldn't it have been somewhere nice and warm like Arizona? Of all the places to be at the end of the world Wyoming was perhaps last on his list. He liked snow, hell he even liked cold weather but being stuck inside for days at a time was not his cup of tea.

He ran from the city that morning, trying to get his body heat up. He planned to go quite far today and it wouldn't do to get frozen to the bone within the first five minutes of his journey. The place where he was going he'd only been once before. There was a little shack practically in the middle of nowhere to the southeast of the city. Last time he'd seen it he'd been out scavenging with a group of Carrion. He didn't draw attention to it, having proffered the idea of exploring it on his own. In the backpack he carried there were bits of cloth and water for the adventure he had planned.

The shack was at least two hours away from the main city on foot so his running didn't last long. He followed the river until he saw the two crossed pine trees that he had made a mental note of last time he'd seen the shack. It was about a half miles walk from the river, straight through the pine trees. It was a small thing made from grayed pine boards and looked like it had seen better days. Vegetation grew all over it and the few wooden steps that lead to the door were all but swallowed by vines and brush. Blaze straddled the remaining edges of the steps and brushed off the door with his sleeve. Painted red on the door was a familiar diamond shape, and within that shape were three letters: TNT. Below that was a skull and crossbones.

Blaze was pretty sure that he wasn't going to find what he was looking for. The government normally took care of places like these ages ago. Still, it was possible that one site had been missed. There was a lot of exploratory blasting done in the Sundance area decades before the Vance Copper mine was discovered and various remnants of such days still lingered in the forested plains of the area. This shack was one such remnant.

Blaze dug his fingers into the door jam. The handle that had been on the door had long since broken off but the door was swollen shut from the weather it had endured year after year. After what seemed like ages of prying at the door it finally gave way and sent him tumbling backwards. He sat up rubbing the back of his head and small of his back where he'd landed on the canteen that was in his backpack. "Jesus Christ, the things I go through for this stuff..." He crawled back onto his feet and stepped into the darkened shack.

( A Heart Full of Napalm )