Snippet #1994508

Tayte emerged cautiously from another alleyway a few blocks down, looking to her left, then her right. She hadn't been on foot long, but her stomach was beginning to growl dangerously loud. She tended to wait to the last possible moment before breaking down and eating anything, aware that food was precious and was soon going to become hard to come by. She double-checked her left and right again. Coast seems clear... but something just doesn't feel right. Holding her bat down and to her side, but at the read, Tayte very slowly moved forward. The thoroughfare seemed clear, but that had gotten her in trouble before. Hmm... blue or red pill, Mrs. Breed? she mused with herself. Looking left again, she saw less cars and fewer open doors, "Red," she told herself softly.

Keeping her back to the wall, she moved by cross-stepping her right over her left foot, ready to take off running at a moment's notice. Crash! Tayte's breath caught in her throat and she froze, softball bat raised to her shoulder, at the ready for a nice, strong swing at head height. Her heart throbbed, seemingly for eternity. She could hear and feel each beat and was positive if anyone was around they'd hear it to. When all was finally silent on the home-front she inhaled slowly through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth. "It's okay, Tay... A cat, most likely... Silly buggers...Never liked 'em anyway..." Murmuring to keep herself company, she began to move forward again, a little more quietly and carefully. When outside she felt a teensy bit more vulnerable, more ill at ease, but she'd decided in the beginning of her days on the streets to keep her head up, so she would. Remembering her promise to herself, she stood up a little straighter, and pushed her head up high. "Paint the roses red!" she smiled to herself and laughed on the inside at a joke she had shared a long time ago with her older brother. Although she had no clue where he was now, she knew that she had to survive. She had to know whether or not he was safe and sound.

Crash! This time Tayte didn't think, she dropped down to a knee and hid behind the nearest mailbox. It was closer, whatever it was making that noise. I definitely don't want to find out! Tayte waited again, momentarily caught in her spot by adrenaline, then, with a quick bolt she stood and turned, ready to enter the nearest store-front. She yipped quietly though, as she ran smack into the chest of a rather large looking man. "Oh... god." She could barely get the words out past the fear enveloping her, the softball bat secure but unused in her right hand.

"Hey there, pretty lady." The man's sneer was made all the more menacing as Tayte was close enough to smell the rotting flesh caked on his clothes and see the streams of blood that she could tell were not his own on his clothing. She suppressed the urge to retch everywhere, taking two quick steps back, which put her back against the mailbox. Well done, Breed, she chided herself, and how do you suppose you're getting out of this one?

"Aw, don't be so shy!" The large, extremely infected man blinked, brown-red blood tears rolling down his face. Tayte's stomach flipped and she had to again stop herself from doubling over and losing what little food she had in her stomach. "I just want to play!" He took a step forward and Tayte's brain went into overdrive. She hop-stepped to the left, landing in the batting stance that had become very familiar to her muscle memory.

"Oh, I'll play," she smiled at the revolting, blood thirsty infected, "I'm such a good sport. Come over here and I'll show you what a good player I am!" She winked at the man, raising her bat to shoulder height, and setting her gaze on the spot between his eyes. His smile was so feral she almost lost her faux-confidence, terrified he hadn't fallen for her rouse, but he stepped forward and she took her chance. Stepping onto her right foot, she threw her hips with as much force as she could, pulling her right arm towards the middle of his eyes as hard as she could. As her left hand followed and continued to guide the bat to it's mark, she brought her step through full force, as if to take off for first base. She felt more than heard the crunch of the man's temple as the shock absorbed through the bat and jangled her arms momentarily. He crumpled and fell to the floor, but Tayte wasn't done. She hit him one more time in the head, just to be sure, and ground her teeth as the bat moved through already softened skull and hit concrete. Her eyes widened as the sound reverberated down the street. "Shit, shit. Double shit." She looked left and right and saw some shadows beginning to move at either end, "Alright, fine. Quadruple shit!" It might have just been her over-active imagination, but she wasn't going to stick around and find out.

Turning, she grabbed the one door that was nearest to her and began to pull on it. "Locked. Always friggin' locked! Doesn't anyone trust anyone anymo-" before she could finish nor knew what happened, her foot slid out from under her. Dazidly, she looked at herself, covered in blood. The man had bled out. "Fuck." Footsteps were beginning to sound, the infected and whoever else were coming, it was true now. With one last desperate attempt she grabbed the door handle and pulled, then pushed, then jiggled. Time was running out and the hair on the back of her neck was beginning to stand up when suddenly, miraculously, the door came free and swung wide. tossing it behind her she dodged inside, pulled it shut, locked it. Looking around, it seemed to be a storage of some place, boxes littering everything. "No time." She mumbled and quickly spied a chair, grabbing it, she blocked the door with it, then backed up, bat held high. She could feel the blood on her clothes now, it had soaked through. [i]I have to get these off now... but who knows who's in here! What happened to my plan![/] She waited as the footsteps grew close, then moved on. The infected must not have seen her after all, or had seen their dead companion and decided to move on. Momentarily proud of herself, Tayte breathed a sigh of relief, then collapsed. "oh... uh oh..." She retched. She couldn't help it. All the adrenaline was subsiding and she felt safe for the moment. She'd have to check the rest of the building she was in before feeling completely safe, but there was no stopping her body from taking control. Her body rolled with nausea and again expelled her insides. "Bile. Well... so much for dinner..." she thought aloud as she stayed on her hands and knees, breathing deeply.