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James Hill

What ever they are, they're not going to stop. Not till we are all dead.

0 · 287 views · located in A small town in the midwest called Highgate

a character in “The Will to Survive”, originally authored by mjlavalleejr, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description

James is as strong as he is handsome. Even at age 43 he still maintains his rock-solid physique. He has silky light brown hair worn in a stylish manner. His light blue eyes gleam in the light and his slightly tan skin seems to contrast quite excellently. Wrinkles begin to line his forehead, a result from a stressful life. James' prefers casual dress and comfortable clothing over the preventing and tiring formal clothes. He is usually seen wearing t's and jeans and a little dirt on his face. He kind and welcoming face yields a scar across his left cheek, while his muscular biceps both have matching burn marks. James aims to take care of his looks but will at times grow out his beard and let his hair grow out.

Personality

Years of serving as an officer in the military has molded James severely. He is quick to think, aware, and extremely cautious. He at times can seem cold and emotionless but has been getting better at expressing himself to others. James is a leader and takes his roles to heart, taking what is best for his team over anything else. He is willing to make the sacrifice play in order to let those whom he cares about continue on. After returning to citizen life James has become more focused on completing tasks, he rebuilt his home and is always looking for something to fix. It keeps him busy and healthy, which is something he takes very seriously. He gets along well with others but will not stand people who think they are all that. Cockiness is a pet-peeve of his and he will try to humble others, either verbally or in some cases, physically. Some of his fears include getting stranded, snakes, car accidents, and watching his loved ones get hurt.

Equipment

James currently has two handguns and one assault rifle, all of which he has acquired through his time in the military. He also possesses a couple weeks worth of food, a sleeping bag, some other camping supplies and his slightly damaged car.

History

James was a normal child and graduated from high-school with average grades. Once he got out of school he wanted to aid in the war efforts in Panama, which lead to his serving of many more tours, during which he gained much respect as a solider and eventually reaching the rank of Sergeant. After retiring from the military James took up a job as a private security consultant from a large corporation.

So begins...

James Hill's Story

The loud buzzing of the alarm clock rang as time became 8 A.M. The sunlight was swimming through the dark green curtains, causing the light to fall upon the small bedroom, highlighting the floating dust particles in the air. From the neighboring bathroom James walked into the loud room with a tooth brush in his mouth.

I must have forgotten to turn it off he thought before flicking a switch from "On" to "Off". James always set his alarm, even though he was well aware he did not need it. Like today, James has always woken up earlier than he planned for. Sometimes it was the sound of the bustling town, or the light pressing against his close eyes, but today It was the nightmares. James returned to the bathroom and spat out the fluids. As he looked into the mirror he noticed some leftover tooth paste around his mouth. He smiled and forced it together so he looked as if he had rabies.

After a couple minutes of goofing off and cleaning up James went down the stairs to the first floor of his small, but comfortable home. He lived alone, as he had since returning from the military. He had a new job, but luckily today was a day of which he had off. James enjoyed his time off and would use it to work on his house. Today was no different. James quickly belted up his blue jeans and threw on one of his sweaters and walked out his back door. There he sat down on a small lawn chair and put on his shoes, which he always left outside. Now that he was ready to go he jumped up into the air, and landed back on the ground. This was something he often did to get his blood flowing and his energy pumping.

Hours of hard labor passed when James heard a strange grunting from his neighbor's yard. Was someone choking? Dying? James crept over to the fence and peered through a small hole in the wood. On the other side lay a figure crawling on the ground. It was discolored, from what he could tell its eyes were tinted, and the figure was colored in blood. Then suddenly the figure moved. It flashed towards the fence where James was, it startled him and made him jump back. The monster flung its hands at the fence, pressing against it violently. James leaned back in for a closer look. It was his neighbor, Ms. Waynes, but something was terribly different now. She was not herself, she was something else. Then it hit James.

Zombies

Scrambling in confusion, James tripped up the stairs of his porch, cutting himself on a sliver of wood. Blood rushed out the inside of his forearm, covering his skin in a scarlet film. He looked down at the cut, it wasn't deep, but it was enough to cause minor bleeding that would probably last a couple minutes. James pushed down on the floor of the porch and rose to his feet. He turned back towards the fence and could see his neighbor clawing and pushing against the orange wooden boards. James then bolted into his house, his shoes leaving dirty prints on the white tiled floor of his kitchen.

Once inside James shuffled around various objects on the table, couch and then desk. Phone, where's my damn phone! He searched his house quickly using his mind's eye and then remembered that he left his phone in the bathroom. James quickly walked into the bathroom and grabbed his cell phone off the counter. He dialed, and then took a deep breath. Standing there in the bathroom James could see out the window, straight into his backyard. He squinted his eyes.

"9-1-1, what is your emergency?" A frantic female voice asked.

"Hi, I have a report about my neighbor, there is something wrong." James was not quite sure what to say, he had no idea what was happening. Suddenly he saw a blood-stained fist pound through a section of the outside fence. this made James jump.

"Is your neighbor making growls and other strange noises?"

"Yes."

"Is your neighbor discolored, and having a yellowish tint about the eyes?"

"Yes," at this time the frail but surprisingly strong women busted through the newly made hole in the fence and entered the yard. James turned off the light and ran towards the back door. "She is coming towards me, she is bloody, and I think she wants to eat me?"

"Please stay calm sir, there is nothing emergency response can do, we are receiving similar calls from all over. We are to suggest that you stay away from all "sick" individuals."

"What do you mean?"

"Sir there has been an outbreak and an airborne virus is causing many to turn into sick, flesh hungry monsters. If it helps at all, officials have suggested to use fatal action to secure your own safety."

James was shocked at what he just learned, and when he went to ask another question the dial-tone of his phone re-entered his ear. The women hung-up. The words "fatal action" reentered his mind. What did that entail? Was he to kill these individuals if needed? Weren't they still human? James looked out the window in his kitchen, the women was now walking towards the porch. James quietly shut the door and locked it. He then looked back out and saw the women kneeling on the stairs licking up the splatters of blood that were left from James' arm.

His arm! He totally forgot. He was still bleeding. James grabbed some bandages from a cabinet and wrapped up his forearm. When he was done he went back to the window. The women was gone. James ran to every window he could think of and still no one was insight. After an hour of careful looking he decided she was gone. Not knowing what to to he recalled that the lady on the phone mentioned this was happening all over.

"The news!" James went into his bedroom and flipped on the news. After of what seemed to be hours of watching James learned that a virus caused this to happen. The towns and cities nearby were being quarantined, no one was leaving and no one was coming. He learned that this outbreak was happening around the country, and there were reports from other countries as well. James saw footage of these humans eating others, running and growling at the news teams. James watched cops shoot at the sick and it not stopping at all. That is when he decided these were not humans, they were something else. Before he turned off the tv in disgust he heard a reporter say that it was speculation that the best way to kill these monsters was to damage the brain. With that in mind James turned off the tv and peered out into the dark night.

The cars have ceased to drive down the private streets that made up the neighborhood in which James lived. The darkness reached its apex, the outside air was now filled with terror. The monstrosities that lay roaming out afar crept through the alleys and streets like a panther silently stalking prey. The city was silent, apart from distant and chilling screams, which occasionally filled the skies. The night was now more dangerous than ever. The darkness made it more difficult to see the infected bodies, the cool air was favorable for the decomposing creatures, so they seemed to travel and roam more freely.

James stood in his bedroom on the second floor of his house. He had previously locked and barricaded his doors and windows. Old 4x4s now lay across the two entry ways, backed by heavy furniture such has his couch and dresser. The windows, all except for one, were sealed shut and covered with sheets. He learned from the tv that these creatures were attracted to noise, light, and smells, therefore, James had blocked all possible points for sound and light to escape. He plugged up the bottoms of the doors, placed cushions and rags over the windows and stopped his furnace from allowing air into the outside.

On the second floor, James was looking out his window. His bedroom was as equally dark, allowing his eyes to adjust and soak up as much light as possible. James watched as the dead bodies of his neighbors stumbled past his house over the course of the night. Many of these sick he knew, they worked outside in the lawns, they went to the local store, they knew him, but now that did not matter. They were no longer alive.

What would he do? What was the next call? James stood there thinking and thinking of a next possible plan. After coming up with different scenarios James ruled his options down to two possibilities. Find somewhere safe, or make somewhere safe. The first one would require him leaving, setting out into this new world and finding somewhere the plague did not effect. But did such a place exists? The CDC was not allowing anyone to leave, would he be able to get past them? Safely?

His second option would entail him staying in town, fortifying and securing an area. He would not need to travel much. He would need to gather supplies, food, weapons, and things to keep him busy. This second option would be a bit safer in the beginning, but in the long run would it last? How long would it need to last? Was help on the way, was their a cure or a way to defeat the sickness? James could find other survivors, not all were infected, right? James was not. He did not transform, perhaps others did not too. Was William from work ok? Was anyone at work ok?

All these questions raced through James' mind and he found himself on his bed, drifting into sleep. Minutes of more thinking passed until James was fully asleep. It was a moment of peace, he would forget about everything that happened. He would be safe. For now.

James had only been asleep for a couple hours when he heard a faint yell echo into his room. His eyes broke open and he tossed his blankets to the side, in a rush he jumped out of bed and got to his window. He peered up and down the empty street, nothing. James decided to look once more and this time he could see a figure running down towards his house. This figure was small, it could almost be a child. ON its arm was some sort of device or clothing, James was not sure. All he could grasp was that it might be a survivor. It could be someone like him.

With this in mind James drew open his blinds and window and turned on his light. The light from his window penetrated the darkness that enveloped the street. Going even further James grabbed a flashlight off his desk and turned it on, aiming it onto the person who was running down the street. When the figure got closer he yelled.

"Hey, survivor! Up here." James was shaking the light so it would be easier seen.

"Hey, survivor! Up here."

Leo stopped running, who had said that? Looking around, he spotted a bright light shining out of a window, holding it was a man with a face that Leo didnt recognize.
A faint smile forced its way onto his face, maybe this person was willing to help him?
"Um..." Leo mumbled, unable to think of anything to say, "Hi?" He called, tilting his head upwards so he could see the man.
He didnt know whether the person wanted Leo to come inside the building, where it was most likely alot safer than outside, or if he simply wanted to let Leo know that not everyone was dead.
His hoodie was beginning to come loose, and even if it had stayed in place Leo was sure that it wouldnt be much help seeing that for the most part it was drenched in blood.
Leo wondered whether the man had any medical supplies, and if he did, would he let Leo use it?
Whatever the answer to that was, Leo didnt really care, because he was already searching for the door to the building, which was rather hard for him due to not having very good eyesight in the dark.

The survivor was indeed a child, or a teenager, James still could not tell.

"Hi?" said the young boy as he looked around the front of the house.

"Here, come in.." James then disappeared from the window for a few seconds. Once he returned he opened up the window and tossed down a rope ladder, kind of like the ones in the old adventure movies. "Can you climb?" James asked the young lad. To James this was exciting, there were other people who were not affected by the virus. Perhaps they would find more, make plans and look for a way out of this hell-hole. But James was getting ahead of himself, the boy looked hurt, and James needed him to be well and alive if they were to get anymore help.

The ladder cascaded down the side of the house, landing right at the base. James held onto the top of the ladder tightly, this would allow the boy to climb in. The doors rendered useless now since James barricaded them. He hoped the zombies, or whatever they were would not be so smart as to use a ladder to climb 20ft up into a window.

Leo studied the ladder, then looked at his arm, and uneasy feeling came over him.
"Uh, yeah..." He replied, narrowing his eyes and grabbing the ladder with his good hand and began to pull himself up, there was no way he was going to let this guy think he wasnt capable of doing something as easy as climbing.
However, Leo found it difficult, since his left arm was basically useless since the zombie had torn into it like it was food, and every time he dared to move it it began to bleed again.
Leo growled something under his breath, frustrated because this was taking so long and he was only halfway up the ladder.
I hate this... Leo decided, then managed to get his left arm to move so his hand could grab the ladder and use it to climb.
He reached the top and was sure that his facial expression looked pissed off, "Thanks," He said through gritted teeth as he scrambled through the window.

James held tightly onto the ladder, using his strength to hold up the kids weight. Lucky it was not a bigger person thought James as the kid neared the top. After one more struggle the kid climbed in and flopped to the ground. "Thanks," said the boy.

James brushed off his hands after pulling up the ladder and placing it on the floor. "I'm James, sorry about the door, i have it...barricaded." James then inspected the kid, the sweater he had was covered in blood. As James looked closer he saw a wound on the boy's arm. "What happened?" James asked as he shut the window and pulled down the blinds. James had medical supplies, he always did. His training in the Marines taught him to always keep some in case of emergencies. James would aid this young person, if he needed it.

Leo huffed when James told him he had barricaded the front door, he found a bit amusing.
Then again... He thought, I guess its smart... blocking the main entrances.
He'd keep that in mind.

"What happened?" James asked after he had seen Leo's arm.
Leo looked up at him, "One of those things outside tried to eat me," He explained, forcing a laugh, though it sounded hollow.
Looking around the room, Leo noticed it was rather dark,
"Dont you have any lights besides that?" He asked, nodding towards the flashlight.

"One of those things outside tried to eat me," James knew it. These sick were dangerous, they hunted people.

"Ouch" James commented as he learned about the boy's arm. Would the boy turn into one of these monsters? The virus is airborne so it should not affect him, even if he had the sick's blood in his system. But the rotten skin and flesh might bring about infection.

"Dont you have any lights besides that?" asked the kid. James probably thought the kid thought he was weird for staying in the dark, especially during such a scary time. James looked around his room.

"Yeah, let me just get it." James walked over to his desk and pulled a small cord and up lit an antique desk lamp. "The light attracts them, I keep it dark." With more light James could properly see the boy's wound. It was nasty. The skin was cut and torn, blood had stained everything around it, and the flesh was dirty. IN good news James knew how to fix it up, it would not be a problem.

"I'm James, James Hill. Want me to fix that up for you? I have experience." James had not interacted with children much in the past few years. He wasn't sure if he was creeping the boy out or if he was being normal. The last thing he wanted was for the boy to think he was an inexperienced fool.

"I used to be in the Marines, A captain, I can fix you up. Keep you safe. Do you have family...alive?" Although James did not have much experience with younger folk he knew how important they were and he knew he would do anything he could to keep them safe. It was a big deal to him; kids.

"The light attracts them, I keep it dark." James said as he plugged in an old looking lamp.
Leo nodded but didnt say anything, atleast he knew why most of the houses and buildings didnt have any lights on...er... if people still lived inside them, that is.
Then James told him that he knew how to heal Leo's arm and explained that he had once been a captain in the Marines, Leo's eyes widened, this guy had been in the military?
Then James asked, "Do you have family...alive?"

Leo paused, did he?
"I..." He started, then trailed off
Leo frowned, to be honest, he wasnt sure how to answer that question.
Was his Aunt alive? Or had she been infected, or even worse... killed?
He didnt know.
Leo wasnt fond of his Aunt. Sure, she was rich and somewhat nice, but there was something about her that sent chills down Leo's spine, maybe it was because she had lied to him for quite a few years? Let him believe something completely untrue?
Whatever the reason was, it didnt seem to matter to Leo now, because the first time in ever, he actually cared whether she was living or not.
What if she was running through town right now looking for him?
What if she was actually worried about him, too?
It was unlikely, and probably far too much to ask for, but Leo still hoped. Because even if his Aunt was a heartless liar, she was still the only family he had, and he cared.
"I dont know."

James listened as the boy took a moment before answering. "I dont know." How did the boy not know about his family, were they gone, had he not gone home? Nonetheless James felt his pain. James still did not know about any of the people he knew, he did not know if they were alive, or dead.

"Well, who do you live with, we can go and find them." James thought this might sound reassuring to the boy. After listening to his response James said "Stay here, I'll go get the supplies." James walked out of the room and went into the nearest bathroom. From the bottom cabinet he pulled out some sterile bandages, some scissors, and some other medical items that would allow him to kill any gems inside the kid's arm. After that James walked back into the bedroom and moved his desk chair and allowed the boy to sit.

He pulled the lamp closer and positioned it so that he could see what he was doing better. "So what do I call you?" James asked as he began fixing the wound. "Tell me about yourself?"

Leo sat down on the chair,
"So what do I call you? Tell me about yourself?" James asked as he started to clean off some of the blood around Leo's arm.
Leo studied James carefully, not understanding why he had let him into his home, offered to help him look for his Aunt, and even begin to fix Leo's wound.
He was thankful, yes, but why the hell was this guy so nice?
Why did he trust that Leo wouldnt take a knife out of his pocket and stab him?
There wasnt any reason to, and then again Leo also didnt have a knife... but James didnt look as if he considered the possibility.

Dismissing the thought, Leo realized he was taking a fair bit of time to answer James's question.
"I live with my Aunt," He said, his voice a bit bitter when he said the two ending words, "And my name's Leo Diaz... thats really all there is to know, I guess."
Leo knew how boring he must sound, maybe even stupid, he guessed James thought he sounded like he was holding back information, which he was, but none of it was important. And to Leo, James didnt need to know his whole life story.
However, all in all he was glad that James was so nice, and had taken Leo into hospitality.

"You live with your aunt, eh, well how about tomorrow we go to her place and see whats up?" James nicely added. "And Leo, that's a good name. I'm a Leo, born in August." James smiled and continued to go on and heal up leo's arm.

After a couple more minutes James had finished. "All done, it should heal up real soon, just don't damage it anymore. Keep it safe." James got up and wiped the back of his hand against his scruffy facial hair, catching some sweat along with it. James went into the bathroom and put away his items and then washed his hands. Once he returned he looked at Leo.

"Everything is going to be ok. Now it is late, just because there are monsters outside, don't mean we can't get some good ole sleep. In the next room there is a sofa you can rest on, we will rise early in the morning, get a head start on your aunt." With that said James showed Leo the sofa and set it up. "Anything you need?"

After Leo responded James got what Leo needed (if anything) and then walked back into his room, fell onto his bed and quickly fell to sleep.

James awoke a couple times throughout the next few hours, shifting and turning on his bed. It was hard to sleep; he had a kid in the other room, zombies outside, and no idea what to do next. James had some ideas, but he would keep them in his head, for now. It was important to wait till morning, when the zombies were not as active. It was a longshot, but it had to be done. He told Leo that they would go check out his aunt's place, if she was alive he would reunite them, and possibly let them go, or join in with him.

Times were about to get hard, people needed to stick together. If this disease really did infect the country then no place would be safe. Only if a large group or community were all somehow immune, like how James and Leo were, then they would be able to find safety. But did such a place exist? Probably not. If anything most of the population would be dead and turned into monsters, the others would die from starvation, insanity, accident, sickness, zombie attack, or even worse: murder.

The thought came to James, people these days did not trust, they were selfish, and did not care about others. If someone felt endangered by others what would be stopping them from killing the living. No one would enforce the laws, were there any laws still? Yes. Just because the people who make laws and the people who enforce them are dead doesn't mean the laws are gone.

To what lengths would James go? He would steal from stores, homes, and the dead. James thought about this. He decided he would not harm anyone, not hurt, and definitely not kill. No, it was wrong. James had so many thoughts, but he fell asleep before he could continue.

Freelancer smiled as he looked at the file "For once since I met you I wasn't being sarcastic." he commented as he continued to read, on...about what they had done to James without him knowing all those years ago.

~~**~~**~~Dream~~**~~**~~

James' eyes blasted open wide. Immediately ghostly white light flooded his senses. Was he dead? Is this what heaven feels like? As James became accustomed to the light he was now able to see. He was laying down on something hard. Not being able to tell exactly what it was he moved his hands. The touch of cold metal greeted him, he could feel something around his wrists...and now his ankles. It was a heavy feeling, rough and hard. James realized what it was: shackles.

James wiggled in a panic, he shook his hands and moved his feet, but he could not move them far. He tried to sit up but he noticed a pressure on his chest. He moved his eyes down, only to find a large strap spanning across his chest and around his back. Where was he? He knew he was not dead, but should he? Was this a hospital of some sorts? Was he injured? James moved and inched his body around trying to feel if he had any wounds, but he could not feel anything. Perhaps he was not hurt, but then why would he be here. Was he captured? That would be a possibility.

His hearing came back. James was welcomed by a faint buzzing noise. It sounded as if a insect was floating around inside his ear, this drove him mad. His restraints tightened as he shook his head clearing out the sound, however, a new sound came forth. It was voices! People, there must certainty be people near by. James tried his hardest to hone in on the voices. Russian? Chinese? James was having a difficult time. No. English! James was now able to recognize the language and began trying to listen.

Suddenly a shadow came over James' face. Instead of the blazing light above James now saw a dark and faceless figure.

"Well you shouldn't be awake." Said the figure. Suddenly James felt a sharp pain in his arm. Then blackness was everywhere.

BEEP BEEP BEEP
The alarm shot Freelancer out of his sleep and he awoke in the truck with his pistol in hand. That voice, the one that screamed he knew it well. It was James...

~flashback~
It was a time before he knew about everything that was going on and he still went by his old name. He woke up in a hospital at Fire base Phoenix in Afghanistan, with him were all six members of his squad. His body had hurt like hell, and he had multiple injection sites on his arms. He tried to get it up, but as soon as he tried to move he hurled all over the blankets that covered him. What had happened? He looked to his right, and there sat James, out cold like he had been knocked out. What the hell had happened? He tried to call out for a nurse or doctor but he could barely speak, he felt like he had been run over by a long line of buses then shit on by a parade of animals. He called for James, but he didn't wake up until Freelancer threw a pencil at him. He jolted out of the sleep and looked at Freelancer with shocked and frightened eyes. He then vomited all over the floor like he had an extremely bad stomach virus.
"What's going on?" James mouthed as he looked at Freelancer

"I don't know" Freelancer mouthed back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later they would be told that their squad got lost in a sandstorm two weeks earlier and were captured by Taliban forces. The doctors found multiple chemicals in their blood stream that suggest that the Taliban had been drugging them which would account for the memory loss. Freelancer would discover the truth later...discover what the Government he now works for did to them all...about what they put inside them....

Leo woke up only because he had rolled right off the sofa and fell to the floor, landing right on his left arm.
"Damn it!" He hissed, pushing himself up so he was sitting. Leo looked at his arm in confusion, "What the hell...?" For a second he had no idea where he was, this wasnt his room, or even anywhere in his house, and why was his arm wrapped in bandages? Then Leo remembered he was at James's house, the town was filled with zombies, and one of them had atacked him.
Terrific.
On top of all that, Leo wasnt even sure he could trust James yet, the guy appeared to be a pretty nice person, but how was Leo suppose to know if he wouldnt kill him the first chance he got?
"Right..." Leo muttered, pushing the thought to the back of his head as he stood up. It wouldnt really matter if James killed him or not, since they would both probably be dead soon, anyway.

The sun was peaking over horizon, it would not be long until it was fully morning. James lay awake in his bed, watching the sun silently break through the glass pane. James had enough sleep, he decided it was time for him to get up and start his day. What would he do today? The garden needed tending, the backside of the house could use a paint job, or maybe the porch could be sanded. No. It almost escaped James; the thought of what had happened yesterday. The infected human bodies, dead, but yet still roaming the streets, preying on the living. It was a nightmare, a real-dead-living-nightmare.

James rolled out of bed, and brushed his hands over his face, awakening his skin. Downstairs he went, making sure not to wake Leo, who may have been sleeping in the extra room. James started up some food, he cooked up some of the meat he had, he knew it would go bad soon and thus it was not a waste. He cracked open some eggs, mixed them together and scrambled them. While he was letting the food cook he went into his basement and opened up a old antique pirate decorated chest. Inside was a multitude of knives that James had collected over the years. He pulled one out. It had a green handle and the blade was sharp and clean silver.

Once James was done he moved back upstairs, finished up the food. By this time the sun was entering the town. James quickly looked outside as infected walked up and down the street. Luckily they wouldn't notice James' house. James took out two plates and placed food on each. Now James headed back to the second floor, this time he went and opened up the door to Leo's room. There the kid lay, awake or not awake James could not tell. He knocked on the wooden door a couple times till it got the kid's attention.

"Food's on the table." said James. He then lead Leo downstairs and to the table where their meal awaited them. It was a hearty meal of steak, eggs, and milk. James gestured Leo to sit down as he did.

"How'd you sleep?"