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The Bridle Trails

AlphaWolfQuin

Pulsar
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Location
Rhode Island
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The Bridle Trails
Location: Oxford, CT
Alert Level: Low to Moderate

The Bridle trails go for miles and lead to various different places including a safe camp run by Dax and Jamie Draven.
 

Name: Shinjiro Takeda
Location: (En route to?) Bridle Trails
Attire: Blue jeans, black tank top, belt, Nike sneakers, white socks
Weapons: Switchblade (Hidden in right jeans pocket), Sniper Rifle (Strapped over back), Pistol (Strapped against belt which is currently a make shift holster until he can get an actual one)
Date/Time: July 4, 2025
Tagging: JC, Laila, Anyone


To say that Shinjiro was relieved of having grabbed so much extra bullets was a massive understatement. Oh no. He was fucking ecstatic. It had been needed, mainly to ensure that himself, JC, and now a red-headed newcomer could get away from the Shopping Mall alive. And thanks to his shooting and JC's driving, it'd worked. Now they were on the way to ... the country. Or at least that had been where JC had hinted. Personally, Shinjiro didn't give a damn. As long as it was away from the zombies or at least had less of them, anyplace was fine with him. Once he could focus on the newcomer, he set his sniper rifle down in front of him and turned around in the passenger seat.

"So ... miss? Aside from the other questions that JC asked, got a name?" He wouldn't mind much if she only had the bat. Resources and supplies were hard to come by. But if she was bitten .. that would need to be something to be immediately dealt with. So he'd wait for that reply first and foremost.

All in all, this fourth of July honestly wasn't turning out half bad. He'd had the honor of killing some zombies. And in the midst of it all, he was now in the company of two lovely ladies. Given few men if any had such chances for these types of things on a day to day basis, he considered himself damn lucky. But those were mere bonuses for the time being. His mindset and look upon his face and in his eyes didn't show that he was admiring either women. It had a more calm and professional look.

Opportunities for those leisures could be done much later and, at that rate, when it was more appropriate.

As his dark eyes studied Laila, he didn't see any wounds upon her. But ... better safe than sorry. So he'd wait to hear her reply from when JC had inquired on the matter.

Thankfully, she did indeed answer that the other girl was free of bites. "Good. On the off chance we run into anyone with wounds, regardless of source though, do either of you know first aid or how to use a respective kit?" For all his strengths that, alas, was another thing he lacked. He was a soldier when all was said and done, not a doctor. He had wondered on taking at least some basic knowledge. But in the end, he'd chosen the ability to concentrate on survival methods, using firearms, stealth, and a few other helpful tactics.

Not that Shinjiro had regrets. Far from it. Hell, he would have likely been dead if it hadn't been for the military training. But ... there was no point in lying to himself. Realistically, there was only so long he could avoid injuries as could JC and the newcomer. So it'd be great to know if either of them had first aid knowledge.

Or, if absolutely nothing else, maybe they knew of someone who did. Any and every option was worth trying out for damn sure.
 
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Name:JC Draven
Location:The Bridle Trails
Attire:Black and Grey Camo pants, Black longsleeve under armor shirt, Tactical Vest, Combat boots, leather belt, Backpack
Weapons:Crossbow, Hunting knife strapped to left thigh, Pistol holstered on right thigh
Date/Time:July 4, 2025
Tagging:Shinjiro, Laila, OPEN


As they drove onto the trails JC took a deep breath then opened her window, "Ahhhh, it's nice to smell less death for once" ,she stated mainly to herself. She stayed silent for the most part and simply listened as Shinjiro spoke to the woman they had picked up back at the mall. JC had also slowed the speed of the car down as she drove down the trails, if there were any walkers out here it'd be very few and they'd be easy to take out if up to close. Although from NY JC knew of the trails due to her parents bringing her and her sisters on day trips to CT when they were younger, mainly to hike. One of the reasons she wanted to venture to this area specifically was because Jamie and Dax may have ventured out here.

When Shinjiro asked if either of them knew first aid JC sighed, "I do know someone but I don't know if they're still alive....my sister Jamie is a nurse, she moved to New Haven to take a job at Yale a few months ago, that's the last I've seen or heard from her.....and our older sister Dax" ,JC told them. Dax's name came out with a bitter tone a hint of hatred even, JC still believed Dax took Jamie from her and if Jamie was dead it was Dax's fault, there was nothing that would convince her otherwise. "So, you guys hungry? I have some food in my backpack, it's not much but it'll hold us over for a bit, there's some jerky, canned ravioli's and bottled water, I think there's a couple gatorade's in there as well, help yourselves".
 
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Name: Laila Chambers.
Location: Bridle Trails.
Attire: Gray cami tank top, black cargo pants, gray knit hat, black boots, glasses, backpack.
Weapons: Hunting knife (in back pocket), pistol (on hip), wooden baseball bat.
Date/Time: July 4, 2025.
Tagging: JC, Shinjiro; Open.



"Laila. My name is Laila," Laila said softly as she settled into her seat. She leaned forward for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose before finally pushing up her glasses.

This certainly hadn't been a good day, though Laila had been fortunate in that she'd somehow managed to find others that could perhaps help her. Traveling alone had its perks, she supposed. But the cons? Yeah, she couldn't take them any longer. She thought back to her car that she'd been forced to abandon and all the things she'd had to leave behind--clothes, personal trinkets. It had been heart-breaking to leave so much behind. Her only defense had been that she'd kept the keys and locked the thing and remembered exactly where she'd left it. Not that she expected the car to be in working condition if she ever went back to it... nor did she expect any of her things to be there either. But, it was nice to daydream.

Laila sighed, her thoughts drifting a bit. Sitting up a little, she finally leaned forward and draped herself over the middle portion of the front seats. "Sadly, I don't know much about first aid," she said. "But, I'm decent with maps." Her voice was a bit soft. "Got a good memory too," she added with a nervous giggle. Her cheeks reddened a bit. "So, if you need help scouting out places, I might be helpful there. Or, well, I can try anyway."

At that, Laila sat back in her seat. She wasn't sure as to how useful she'd be. She'd never been much of anything back home outside of a nuisance to her parents. Staring down at her lap, her blue eyes fixed on her thighs and the scars hidden beneath the fabric of her pants.

"So, either of you have names?" Laila asked a bit shyly. She then shifted a bit as she rummaged through the one backpack for some food. After retrieving a bottle of gatorade, she handed the backpack to the others.
 

Name: Shinjiro Takeda
Location: Bridle Trails
Attire: Blue jeans, black tank top, belt, Nike sneakers, white socks
Weapons: Switchblade (Hidden in right jeans pocket), Sniper Rifle (Strapped over back), Pistol (Strapped against belt which is currently a make shift holster until he can get an actual one)
Date/Time: July 4, 2025
Tagging: JC, Laila, Anyone



"Hell yes it is." Shinjiro agreed softly with JC on the stench of death being away from them. It was definitely a much needed change of pace. And so far, it seemed as the newly formed trio would soon get that. Even if any walkers were on the road, they'd just run over easily. Now that they were in the van, most of his fears about anymore encounters were gone. His head fell against the headboard of the seat as his eyes closed. The adrenaline rush he had felt from the shopping mall was steadily dying down. His breathing and pulse were beginning to get to more normal paces and the bits of anxiety remaining were vanishing with each passing second.

He gave a nod to JC upon noting she may know of someone. Even if it was a coin toss, that was much better than nothing. And the finding of Laila and JC was more than proof enough that there could be other survivors around. For a while, it had almost seemed as if it were just himself. Needless to say, he was very glad to have been proven wrong for once.

Waiting for Laila to finish speaking and handing the backpack to the front again, he allowed his thoughts to be heard. "Even if it's only a possibility, it'll be a good start if we can find them. Or if not them, any kits or supplies they had. And Laila ... " The faintest hint of a smile formed on his face. "Honestly? Any and all forms of help will go a long way. Don't think you're sounding useless or anything of the like. It's quite the opposite. Good memory plus navigation skills? Man. Those would have definitely helped me out back when I was in the Army."

Reaching down, he pulled a Gatorade for himself out. It wasn't sake but the hell with it. It hadn't dawned on him until he'd finished talking that the Asian soldier had been more thirsty and hungry than his body had realized. Unscrewing the cap, he downed some of the liquid eagerly, sighing contently. "Shinjiro Takeda. But if Shin's easier to use, that's fine."

He went silent for a few moments before another thought entered his mind. It made his raven locks swing from side to side, a few bangs hiding his dark eyes before a low chuckle finally left. "So ... do any of you two know by chance how the hell this all started anyways? The Army didn't tell me shit. When I returned and got my vacation and went back to my home in Japan ... my family ... wasn't family anymore. So as far as I know, this just ... up and happened out of bloody nowhere let alone from no actual cause. But I'll give myself benefit of the doubt with having been kept in the dark and away from the truth."

He went quiet again, silently hoping either of them could shed a bit of light on this scenario. Clearly not everyone was being affected so .. maybe there was another reversal for this besides death? Undeath technically but still. It was worth considering. And unless he really had to, he didn't want to kill many other people, especially if he ever came across any he recognized. It wouldn't be likely since he was from Japan but in the States. But it wasn't impossible by any means.
 
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Name:JC Draven
Location:The Bridle Trails
Attire:Black and Grey Camo pants, Black longsleeve under armor shirt, Tactical Vest, Combat boots, leather belt, Backpack
Weapons:Crossbow, Hunting knife strapped to left thigh, Pistol holstered on right thigh
Date/Time:July 4, 2025
Tagging:Shinjiro, Laila, OPEN


"I'm JC" ,she replied to the two quietly as she reached back and grabbed the backpack from Shinjiro. With one hand on the wheel she used the other to rummage through the bag and grabbed a stick of jerky and ripped it open with her teeth before taking a bite. The simple taste of food made her sigh with content as she chewed. JC had learned quickly that something as small as a stick of jerky was a luxury now a days so she savored it. After about halfway through the jerky JC wrapped it up to save it for later, even if she was starving she conserved what she had not knowing when she would come across supplies again.

When Shinjiro asked if either of them knew how it all started JC shook her head, "I have no fucking clue how this shitfest came to be, I was doing a......" ,she began but quickly silenced herself. Even with the world going to shit she wasn't sure if the two would take to kindly to who exactly she was and what she did before everything turned to chaos so she quickly thought of what to say before finishing her sentence. ".....I was doing some errands for a friend, noticed a herd while driving through Queens, I was lucky, I noticed it before shit got too bad, it gave me the chance to get weapons, supplies, and try to get to safety before hell really broke loose" ,she finished before once more becoming silent.

JC looked around as she drove, trying to spot anyone, anything that would give her a sign that there were other survivors out there and more importantly if there were did they have a safe house or at least somewhere that was quiet enough to sleep for at least an hour. The woman was exhausted, she hadn't slept in days and had been fighting non stop since she barely escaped New York, there was no denying that JC was damn lucky to be alive, then again anyone who was still alive now was damn lucky in JC's eyes.
 
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Name: Laila Chambers.
Location: Bridle Trails.
Attire: Gray cami tank top, black cargo pants, gray knit hat, black boots, glasses, backpack.
Weapons: Hunting knife (in back pocket), pistol (on hip), wooden baseball bat.
Date/Time: July 4, 2025.
Tagging: JC, Shinjiro; Open.



Laila took a deep breath as the fresh air wafted into the vehicle. It smelled almost sweet and was definitely welcomed after having had to traipse through the city on foot for so long, taking in that horrendous smell of rotting flesh and entrails. She took a sip of her gatorade--a red one--and swallowed down the liquid. It tasted so good after all the running and did more than quench her thirst. Sitting back in her seat, she brought her knees up to her chest and rested her about her legs, her blue eyes fixed ahead in nowhere in particular. The backpack she'd been wearing was now resting beside her.

Settling in a bit more, Laila couldn't help but smile. She hadn't expected to be complimented when she offered up what she figured to be fairly feeble talents at best. Still, it was nice to know that she could be helpful in some way, that someone thought she could be useful. Hell, no one had ever thought that--except for Jenna--so, it had definitely taken her by surprise. Biting down on her lip, her teeth grazing her lip ring, she could feel her cheeks suddenly grow warm. "Thanks," she mumbled softly before bringing the gatorade back to her lips and shifting in her seat. Bring the bottle away from her mouth, she added, "I'll try my best then. Do what I can." Her smile broadened a bit, her cheeks growing flushed.

Laila listened to both Shinjiro and JC talk for a little as they discussed how they came to find things as they were--a hell unlike any other. She had come across everything on her travels east. She'd lifted her dad's car, her goal to never look back and hopefully find Jenna and just stay with her. And on her way she'd suddenly seen the first signs of walkers. It had all happened so fast. She'd bolted into her car at a gas station and just drove like a bat out of hell. Luckily things didn't get really bad until she'd gotten to the coast. But, unfortunately, she'd been unable to make it all the way to her friend and it seemed like communication with her friend was impossible. She looked over at her backpack. Inside, she had the barest of basics--her cell phone, the charger, a single change of clothing, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hair brush and a bit of food and water. It wasn't much at all and it was all she could manage to take from her car she'd left behind after it ran out of gas. She also managed to keep her car keys and her wallet, which had money and her father's credit card. She figured most of that would be useless now, but one never knew. Best to hold onto such things just in case. It had been slow going--or it had seemed to be--after she'd abandoned her car, making sure to lock it up before leaving it behind. She'd been fortunate to find weapons along the way, weapons that saved her ass as she'd run from small herds on the pursuit of her flesh.

A shiver ran down Laila's spine at the memories of her various close encounters. She'd been lucky to come out unscathed and very much alive. She looked down at her one wrist. A bruise had formed on it, the purple bloom covering the one side. She scowled a little and reached for her backpack. Inside it, she found a wristband and placed it over the bruise to help cover it up. The bruise wasn't from battling a zombie or from trying to get away. She'd been upset earlier on, angry, frustrated, so overwhelmed when the credit card had suddenly stopped working. She'd almost forgotten about the self injury in all her running from the zombies.

"It's nice to meet you both, Shinjiro, JC," Laila then said a bit shyly as she adjusted the wristband. "I have a little bit of food and water in my backpack. It isn't much, but we can add it to the supplies," she offered. "Wish I knew what was causing this mess," she then said, her voice a bit soft. Again, she shifted in her seat. "I ended up having to leave my car several miles back." A sigh rolled over her lips. "Ran out of gas eventually because the card stopped working and..." She looked down at her legs, her blue eyes staring at the scars hidden beneath the fabric of her pants. No doubt her father had put a stop on the card. Ugh, that man was always trying to bring her down. Even now! But for some reason, she held onto the thing anyway. Who knew if it could be useful for something. Anything. "And, well, I've been running since."

Laila took another sip of her gatorade. After bringing the bottle away from her lips, she breathed in deeply and let out a long exhale. She wondered where they'd all be going, where they'd stay for the night. She pushed up her glasses and then tugged at her orangey-red hair. Night. God, how she wished she could just take a walk and clear her head. Sadly, that was something of the past now.

Heaving a sigh, Laila looked at both Shinjiro and JC. "So, any idea where we're heading?" she asked.
 

Name: Shinjiro Takeda
Location: Bridle Trails
Attire: Blue jeans, black tank top, belt, Nike sneakers, white socks
Weapons: Switchblade (Hidden in right jeans pocket), Sniper Rifle (Strapped over back), Pistol (Strapped against belt which is currently a make shift holster until he can get an actual one)
Date/Time: July 4, 2025
Tagging: JC, Laila, Anyone


It hadn't dawned on him though hopefully the same applied to both Laila and JC. Needless to say, Shinjiro had been sitting the entire time backwards, thus allowing himself to constantly gaze at the red head in the back seat. And the last thing he wished to do was come off as creepy. He quietly turned around, listening to first JC say the answer to his question was no. When Laila confirmed it had been as much of a mystery to her on how this shit hole had began, a low sigh left his lips. It didn't amaze him too much. But that didn't make the situation less annoying. All the same, he wouldn't overly complain much. He had himself still alive and one piece and two allies to help ensure he got through this wreck well enough. And from what JC had hinted, there could be a third and someone who knew of medical knowledge. Though even if they didn't find the one JC knew of, there was likely to be someone still alive who knew of such things ... right?

Hopefully. He couldn't begin to imagine that all the doctors, nurses, or whatnot were dead or otherwise. That alone made him shudder. If that wound up being true, he'd have a 5% chance of surviving, probably less. And he didn't want that or death. He wanted to live through this as long as possible, preferably to the very end.

Keeping the Gatorade in his hands, he carefully stretched his muscles out while making sure to avoid blocking JC's sight. "Also, how long do you think it'll be until we arrive at .... wherever we're heading towards?" He added, letting his raven locks relax against the back of the seat as he made himself comfortable. They likely still had a way to go. So he'd embrace all the opportunities around him, especially those which hinted he could relax. It wouldn't be forever but so what? It'd be for long enough and that was ample to make Shinjiro feel content.

True, he'd been a soldier. But after a while, he had gotten annoyed of all the fighting. The only reason he'd even bothered doing so at all was because failure to go through with the simple action was akin to signing away one's death wish. And that wasn't his intentions or goals. So he'd struggled and battled, always putting his life on the line. And to have made it this far and long on his own ... he was quite proud of it. But now it was time to get rid of his loner wolf ways. He'd need help to keep living and breathing. At least it worked the same vice versa, he figured. As much as the young Asian needed the two women, it was likely the same to them also. If that wasn't true, he wouldn't be with either of them.
 
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Name:JC Draven
Location:The Bridle Trails
Attire:Black and Grey Camo pants, Black longsleeve under armor shirt, Tactical Vest, Combat boots, leather belt, Backpack
Weapons:Crossbow, Hunting knife strapped to left thigh, Pistol holstered on right thigh
Date/Time:July 4, 2025
Tagging:Shinjiro, Laila, OPEN

JC sat quietly as Shinjiro and Laila spoke, she had to admit hearing the sound of other living breathing humans talk was nice. Never had she thought something so simple could bring some type of comfort amongst the chaos, some more hope, faith in the human race's survival. She glanced in the rearview mirror every now and then to look at the other two in the car just to make sure that this all wasn't just some fucked up hallucination due to her going crazy. JC couldn't handle anymore let downs and although she would never admit it, she needed both Shinjiro and Laila, needed them to be real, needed allies....friends.

When Laila asked if JC knew where they were heading the young woman glanced at Laila through the mirror before shaking her head, "No....but this area is full of farmland so I'm going on hope that we could possibly find an abandoned farm, clear it of any walkers, make a safe place for us......" ,JC began before pausing for a few seconds. -Us....where the fuck did that come from?- she thought to herself. ".....with any luck we may even be able to plant crops and if we're super fucking lucky there could still be some livestock roaming around we could snag up, I noticed animals don't seem to be infected so I think we'd be safe to eat them, get eggs, milk....." ,JC then let out a laugh and shook her head. ".....that's definitely a lot of wishful thinking" ,she continued before turning her attention to Shinjiro, "As for when we get there, I have no idea, these trails go for miles we could find something within the next five minutes or we could find something in a few hours, either way I think we'll be able to snag something up by the end of the night".

As JC continued to drive she glanced out her window and spotted a large open field, there were a few tents set up near a large rundown farmhouse in the distance. The trees were blocking the view a bit but JC definitely knew what she saw and when she neared a turn that would lead to the place she knew that she had been right and not just seeing things, "I think we may have hit the jackpot already guys, place looks solid, let's check it out, be ready for anything" ,she stated as she continued to drive towards the farmhouse.

(JC exits to Oxford Survivor Camp)
 
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