The Long Road (OPEN)

[Kayla Murdough]

The steady rocking motion of her horse lulled her into a doze, not entirely awake, but not asleep either. It had been a long time since she'd really slept. Ever since the End Times had come crashing down around her ears on her family farm. She'd seen everyone of her family die, seen the house she grew up in set ablaze as was the barn. She'd only been lucky that the demons had grown tired of watching it all burn as she stayed trapped in the burning barn with her horse, trying to calm the beast.

But since then it had been nothing but a fight. Day in and day out. She'd been somewhat hardened by the experience. Killed her first human being a few months into it, a man that had ideas that were less than chivalrous and wasn't about to take no for an answer. She hadn't been given a choice really, not when she'd awoke to find a blade pressed to her throat and a hand groping along her body. But she wasn't as naive as many thought she was, her gun near at hand and when she pulled that trigger she knew she would never be the same. Something inside her just...clicked, like the turning hands of some enormous clock of Fate.

She'd gone searching for the only people she had left in this world. If anyone had survived the horror and the nightmare it would have been Gabriel and his family. She'd headed out West to begin with, encountering people along the way. Bits and pieces of news trickled in and rumors of a survivor camp in Maine floated around. Gathering people around her they'd made a weary, bedraggled band of refugees. Few had vehicles in the beginning but then gas got to be harder and harder to come by. Abandoned horses in fields they'd passed became a norm of transportation. Most still walked though.

Over the span of nine months they'd crossed the nation, from Spokane to the Maine border. Several were sick, all of them were starving. The meager kills from hunting and the scant bits they could scavenge were quickly drawing to an end. There was never enough to feed the growing refugees that joined their band in ones and twos. She remembered her Grandmother in her prayers, a thanks sent to Heaven to her for teaching her homeopathic remedies that kept them alive over the months.

There were about sixty of them now; men, women, old, young, even a few babies. A brother and sister pair orphaned after a vampire attack rode with her now on her horse, Wildfire. The little boy no more than 5, sitting in front of her had stopped speaking when he'd witnessed his parents slaughtered. He was capable of it but the trauma had scarred him deeply. His sister sat behind her, her arms wrapped about her waist to hold on. The girl was 12, tough, resourceful, but still fragile. She tried to be strong for her brother but Kayla knew that look in her eyes. Knew the act that she was pulling, though she never called the girl on it. In these times, it was those little lies they told themselves that kept them going.

A fence line appeared in the distance as they rode and she blinked her eyes to clear them, waking up more fully as she lead the refugees, her horse trodding at that steady gate despite feeling it's owner's anxiety level rise. This had to be it. They couldn't go much longer. Not without more casualties. They'd already buried several on the road here.

She shifted slightly, pulling the shotgun up and out of the holster on the side of her saddle and checked the ammo, needing to be ready for anything. She prayed to God this wasn't a Croat encampment as they approached the gates and she called out. "Anyone in there!", and waited for a response.

TAGGED:Anyone?
WORDCOUNT: I didn't count
LOCATION: Camp Muinin Dochas
YOUR NOTES

The thread template was made by GREEN EGGS AND SAM! of caution 2.0 and the lyrics in the text are from forget paris.

[Adele Loki]

Dear Diary,
How does one contemplate their existence? Especially when they were not supposed to have been born in the first place? I am known as the little miracle but is it really a blessing or a curse? Ever since I was born I have been different from all the other children. I have been teased and made to feel inferior because of being a nephilim. And how is it my fault? I never asked to be conceived. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a choice? Instead of just being born into this world we would be asked and could refuse if we wished. Then maybe there wouldn’t be so many unhappy people in this world? Yes. You have a choice to either be born or not. No regrets, no anger toward others, no placed blame. If you are born and your life is miserable it was your own free will and take full responsibility for it. So the question is would I have chosen not to be born? As a child I would have to say yes. But now that I am a teenager? Well, it makes that answer a little more complicated.

Now I am no longer just the helpless little girl but a young woman who is trying to help others survive in a world of uncertainty. And those differences that I have? Well, they are actually giving me an advantage now. Do you know what it’s like to hold someone’s life in your hands? When all it takes is a simple touch from you and you can restore what they lost? That’s right in that you can actually cheat death in a way. The way I look at it if that person is meant to truly die then they shall. But if they come to me and are not then they were meant to be saved. Here in this camp I am making a difference every day. I receive no payment for this but do not care. The payment for me is the smiles on their faces when they are reunited with their families or…a hug or just a simple squeeze of my hand to show them how much they appreciate what I have done for them. So is this the reason why I was born into this world? To save lives that would otherwise have been lost?

But how do I handle these visions that I have had lately? These feelings that have haunted me? When father left….I wanted to tell him but was afraid. And I knew that if I told mother that she would not allow him to leave. I saw my father’s angel garrisons fall in battle. Saw them lying upon the ground with angel blades in their chests and their wings burn into the ground. I also heard their screams and sounds of them dying. Oh I don’t even want to think about it. The thought of losing father is something that I could not bear. And what it would do to my mother? Without father Heaven shall surely die. Why have these visions been bestowed upon me? This is a gift that I do not wish to have especially if I am only to see such terrible things. I can only hope that the vision I saw of my father and his battle does not come true. I must keep believing that peace is possible and that all that has come to pass will end.

Adele let out a sigh as she finished her journal entry and put down the pen. Lately this was the one thing that she did every day that kept her from going stir crazy. There were so many thoughts that she had and this journal helped her to display them. Part of her wondered if someone would come up on the camp sometime in the future and find it buried in the rubble of a cabin or something. What would they think when they read it? Would they get a better understanding of who Adele Loki was? Would they judge her? Would it be something that they could relate to? Would it end up being displayed in some kind of museum to represent Camp Muinin Dochas?

Oh, Adele you are getting ahead of yourself

As she leaned back on the fence she suddenly heard a shout coming from the gates. It was like second nature to her now to automatically get up and respond. Because her mother was sometimes away on supply runs and such she and her brother were left in charge. Getting off the ground she headed toward the front gates at a mad dash. She could see the guards at the gates with their dogs looking out in the distance and made her way up to them.

"What is it? I heard a voice." Adele then turned her attention toward where they were looking and her eyes widened as she recognized the familiar blonde hair and face. "Kayla?" she whispered before turning to the guards. "Open the gates!"

"Ms. Adele, I don't know if it is such a good idea to.."

"Did you hear me?" Adele replied back with a glare. "When my mother is not here then I am in charge! Open the gates...NOW." She then watched as the gates were opened and stepped outside to stand in front of Kayla. "Kayla? Is...is it really you?" Not thinking twice she walked up and hugged her warmly. "We...we thought you were dead. Oh, I'm so glad that we were wrong." Pulling back she looked at her. "How...how did you find us?"

[Kayla Murdough]

There was movement on the other side of the gate, muffled voices, the sounds of people walking. The survivors she'd led halfway across the damn country had faced other survivors that hadn't been that receptive before. They'd had to fight for their very lives more than once.

Shaking the child in front of her awake she dismounted her horse and told the children in a whisper, "If this turns out bad you two get out of here. Hit the road and head South. I mean it." She gave a serious look to both the children and checked her shotgun, ratcheting it to make sure it was at the ready and rested it at her hip.

If you'd asked her before all this if she'd be capable of killing another human being she would have thought you were crazy. She'd always been the gentle one, the softie. But life has a crazy way of changing your priorities. The first time was the hardest, the man that had her pinned to the wall, hand moving up her leg, the foul words she'd listened to him spout. Sure, she'd tried to hold him off at first. Had the .45 pointed right at him. But he'd seen the truth in her eyes. He'd seen that she wasn't a killer, not like him. Her normally steady hands had trembled as he walked right up to her and slammed her into the wall, telling her the whole time..'You'll never pull the trigger...you aint got it in you girl.', with a smirk on his lips.

His breath had reeked of whiskey and something else. Disease? Maybe. But as his hand creeped up under her shirt and he began to tell her what he was going to do to her before he killed her...and what he'd do to her after, something inside her snapped. She'd wedged the gun up under his ribs as they struggled and she'd pulled the trigger, getting sprayed with blood and gore as his limp body slumped against her and slid to the ground.

She'd stayed there, hands shaking and in shock for who knows how long. She couldn't move, couldn't breath. Until the reality set in and she'd ran, puking outside till there was nothing left but empty dry heaves that continued. That had been the first time....but not the last that her hand had been forced. The end of times had hardened her, put the steel in her spine.

Even now as the gates began to open she adjusted the brim of her cowboy hat and her finger crept along the stock of the shotgun to rest beside the trigger, ready..

When the girl called her by name it was clear on her face; the confusion and the surprise. She didn't know this girl but something about her....it was familiar. Her entire body went tense and she even took a step back as the girl hugged her to look over her more carefully. She heard the sounds of the guns clicking behind her, her ragged band ready to defend one of their own and held up a hand behind her for them to wait, stand down as she looked the girl over more carefully, stepping back toward her.

"I once knew a little girl and a little boy that I sang lullabies to. Twins. Who are your people girl?" she asked Adele, watching her, all too aware of the tension in the air around them, Wildfire picking up on it and pawing at the ground with a snort. People on both sides of the fence were ready to fight at the least little provocation.

She hadn't seen Adele and her brother since they were toddlers. But this girl.. she had her mother's hair, her father's soulful eyes. It made Kayla's heart ache to think of them.

[Adele Loki]

If one were to look at Adele Loki more than likely they would just see an innocent young girl. As far as innocence went she was untouched but when it came to other things well that was a different story altogether. When Adele and her brother Sebastian had first been born things were different. Oh sure there was still the fact that Lucifer was freed from his cage and he caused the occasional mayhem but it was relatively quiet. Adele and Sebastian would play together along with Aiden who was Castiel and Christine’s son. Together they discovered their angel powers which to them were a lot of fun. It appeared that Adele was more like her mother in that she could teleport and also do telekinesis as well whereas Sebastian took on a lot of his father’s abilities making him a miniature trickster. If there was one thing that the world did NOT need it was a smaller version of The Trickster. As a child the pranks were not too terrible but when he became older and craftier Sebastian was a real terror and his sister Adele was on the end of many of those pranks too.

Unfortunately the world had changed and Adele and Sebastian had been forced out of their childhood but not only aging faster than normal children because they were part angel but also because they had to learn how to survive. Gabriel had been determined that his children were going to know how to take care of themselves in case he or their mother Cadence could not protect them. It had to be faced that Gabriel’s family was going to be a target by Lucifer which is why they were raised like soldiers. Sebastian he learned how to fight and was quite the marksman with his bow and arrow. Adele she learned martial arts and fighting techniques from her mother and was also quite the shot with her gun. She also learned various medical techniques so that at least she could perform basic things for any camp residents that became ill or injured. Both siblings also learned simple methods involving defense from demons and even other angels from their parents and a few hunters that resided there. If there was ever any kind of attack Gabriel’s children would be ready and be able to assist in most situations. There were still some hunters who knew more though.

Being one of the few young females at camp unfortunately made Adele a target at times to males who didn’t know how to either hold their liquor or keep their hands off. If a male got out of hand he would quickly learn a lesson when he was either tossed to the ground, kicked in the groin or had a knife under his throat. Her brother Sebastian would sometimes set some of those men up telling them that his sister was easy and chuckle when they found out otherwise. But Adele was respected in the camp as much as her parents were. She really didn’t see much of her father Gabriel as he was usually out attending matters having to do with battles and keeping Heaven safe. Because of this she really didn’t have a father figure in her teen years and there was no other man in the camp besides her brother that she trusted. Adele pretty much took care of herself but she was fine with it. Being the daughter of the Archangel Gabriel though was trying at times to say the least. When she could Adele would also teach the other females in the camp how to defend themselves.

When Adele saw the woman at the front gates she had been completely overcome by emotion. There had been so many familiar faces that had been lost through the years or that were simply missing. Even though she was a tough cookie it hurt when someone she knew was lost to the war. And even though she had been a mere child when she met Kayla she had never forgotten her. How she would sing to her with that angelic voice and speak soft words. She had the intelligence level above a normal human which is why she was able to retain so much about Kayla including her name. When Adele was still a child Kayla had left them and never returned. It had been assumed that she had died and Adele remembered how badly her father had taken it. To her it seemed like he had truly never been the same after that. When Adele got older she would ask her mother about Kayla but Gabriel refused to speak about her. It was at that time that Adele felt there was some kind of special bond between Kayla and her father though she wasn’t sure what.

“Wait…” she replied as she heard the click of guns from the others behind Kayla. It saddened her that apparently Kayla did not remember her even though there was the possibility that she had mistaken her for someone else? Right now she was angry at herself for letting her guard down and letting her emotions overcome her. “That’s right. You did sing lullabies to me and my brother Sebastian. I’m Adele.” She glanced toward the others. “And you are indeed most welcome here. There is nothing to fear. I’m Adele Loki and I welcome you to Camp Muinin Dochas. We have shelter, food and water available to you. All that I ask is that you provide us with a blood sample so that we may test you to make sure that you are unaffected by the Croatoan virus. “She paused as she looked at Kayla. “You are amongst friends now. But please…” She gestured toward the camp. “I must ask that you come inside quickly before some uninvited guests arrive. I’m afraid that we have croats that wander about outside these gates along with other creatures. And our ammo supply is currently low.”

[Kayla Murdough]

It hit her like a Mac truck as she heard that name and the strains of the Irish song she'd often used to sing them to sleep came back to her, softly hummed under her breath a moment as she stared at the girl. She shouldn't be this old. She should be about the age of the children on her horse. "Adele?"

One hand raised and she touched the girl's cheek lightly, brushing back a strand of dark hair behind her ear and looking into her face, looking inside her very being it might seem and feeling the sting of tears rising close to the surface, cutting them off and fast. She knew a leader had to be strong under all circumstances and now wasn't the time to let emotion overwhelm her as it threatened to do. If Adele was here so was Sebastian and Cadence ... and Gabriel.

Dropping that hand she looked back at her rag tag group and nodded, giving the all clear and addressing them as she ratcheted the shotgun a few more times, ejecting the bullets from it and catching them in her palm as they popped out before putting it back in the holster on the side of the saddle. "You heard her people... Form a line and submit the blood test and light a fire under it. There might be Croats wandering the area. She lead the horse up to have the kids there done first, watching them go as she waited at the gates, letting all her people pass through before testing herself. If there were going to be problems she would handle them.

Quietly to Adele she spoke in hushed tones, her face grin and unsmiling. The hope and light that had always been in those hazel eyes were replaced by a hard, determined cast that spoke volumes of the horrors that they had faced. "We have some that are sick, dying. Malnourishment, dehydration, infections from skirmishes and accidents along the way. Is there somewhere to take care of these people here? The ill ones?"

Her own needs and wants were pushed to the back burner as she focused on the task at hand. It was easier than facing the myriad of emotions that threatened to surface inside her and bubble over. Later, when she was alone she would deal with them. But not now. Not when she still had Cadence and Gabriel to face.