Dead in the Water

Shayna rolls to the side, her hand grasping blindly for her spear. A spear is no answer to a gun!

She thinks about calling to wake the others but instead readies the spear. When the others are mobile she is ready to be opening the door and charging out of the smoke filled cabin.

Jolted from his wonderful dream, was it a dream? Richard's mind registers for a millisecond that it was no dream. The blonde was leaning against him. But no time to do anything but bolt upright to his feet, yank Billie Faye by whatever piece of clothing he can grab, while he fumbles for his gun, as he coughs and hacks. Shoving his arm in front of his face as a makeshift mask from the fumes, he assesses the situation.

Billie-Faye, like many so survivors by now, has learned to sleep lightly. One eye open, hand on her gun or axe, shoes on, bag packed.

But tonight she's let her guard down a little. Having four good walls does that, and it's been too long since she's been with a man. That itch was becoming unbearable, and she did all the subtle, seductive things as she and Richard leaned against one another. Strands of hair hanging fetchingly in front of her face. Legs tangled up with his. A full breast pressed firmly against the man's upper arm, her hand on his thigh, her thumb rubbing--

The blast and then spouting smoke is jarring, shocking -- terrifying. Owen is scrambling across the floor, Shayna, near the front door, is rolling towards her weapon. Someone is right outside! Then Kant is getting up and dragging Billie with him, but she fights him, wanting to remain on the floor. She frantically pulls out her firearm, then aims it at the door, planting her bare feet on the ground and her shoulders against the cabin wall, trying to stabilize her aim and make herself a small target.

"What the fuck!?" she finally manages as she flicks the safety on her weapon off...

"Goddammit!!" he shouts, letting go of the hot canister. He starts coughing, eyes stinging in proximity of the bellowing smoke.

At the second loud gunshot, he gets up and runs towards the boarded windows on the opposite side from the door (and the shooter), checking to see if he can force it open to escape from there.

Shayna feels the bullet smack into her forehead and immediately goes down, rolling to the side in some kind of reflex. I'm alive! she wonders briefly her vision clouded by blood. A graze then. Lucky! She scrambles for the woods and cover.

Richard can't decide. Shayna has surely run to her death, while Owen is badly burned and looking for another way out. Then he hears the gunshot.

"Shit!" Pistol in hand, Richard charges after Shayna, stopping at the side of the doorway and peaking out through the smoke while continuing to hold his arm across his nose and mouth.

"Fuck, She's down!" Poking his face out, Richard tries to gulp cleaner air as he glances outside, then sees Shayna scurry away into the woods and decides to go after her, darting behind bushes and trees, wherever he can avoid getting slammed by a bullet.

Perhaps the last to really come to and understand what was happening, Billie has her pistol leveled at the front door as Owen yelps in pain, then Shayna is charging outside. There's a shotgun blast from outside and then Richard is using the door frame for cover, so Billie-Faye lowers her weapon and gets up.

Looking for another way out, she sees that Owen has the same idea. Wordlessly, she joins him, trying to break out the back exit, shove the boards off a window -- whatever it takes.