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Charlie Redmond

"I thought I was already as outside as it got."

0 · 696 views · located in America

a character in “Touch”, as played by comicbooklover

Description

Image


Full Name: Charles M. Redmond

Nickname(s):Charlie, Eeyore

Age: 15

Gender: Male

From: Outside

Role: Charlie is the type of guy who will do anything to survive.

Appearance: Charlie, although he is 15, appears somewhat small and scrawny, appearing almost starved. He has long brown shaggy hair at a very boyish cut and bright blue eyes. He isn't very muscular, but has just a bit of muscle on him. He is very tall for his age, standing at about 6'. He is practically skin and bones, his decontamination suit looking baggy on him. But, everyone in the outside world looks pretty much like him. Around his neck, under his suit, he wears a necklace with a rabbit's foot on it.

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Personality: Charlie is a very strange person. He is very talkative and friendly if you get to know him, but most don't want to because he just looks like bad luck. It's as if there's always a cloud over him that's raining. Yet somehow he hasn't been touched, just lived long enough to see everyone he loves go first. Charlie is very quiet when he isn't approached first. He tries to smile a lot, but he just looks like a little kid to everyone. To other's they think he is just something else they'll have to take care of. But, starting a friendship with this guy has it's benefits.
Charlie is very cautious. He always seems to know where trouble is and can turn the other direction, although it always seems to follow him. Sometimes he appears depressing to others, but they just don't understand him. He is really a nice guy, but the only way you'll know that if if you take the time to find it out for yourself.

Likes:
Card or Board Games
Candy
Rain
Storms
Sleep
Taffy



Dislikes:
Loud Noises
Trouble
People getting too close
Easy Ways Out
Crying
Children
Being called a Child






Skills: Creeping people out, Getting in trouble, Skateboarding, Being avoided, Running, Surviving harsh conditions alone

Quirks: Is easily annoyed by kids, Is allergic to dogs, Doesn't have very good eyesight, Can't fight well

Fears: Being touched, Suffering, Dogs, Being used as a pawn, Being tricked

History: Charlie was born to loving parents who lived in England. He grew up homeschooled, becoming very attached to his mom and dad. His parents enjoyed traveling a lot and took him with them, so he had been to about four continents before he was five. When he was eight they all moved to America because his dad had found work their, but his British accent never left. He continued to be homeschooled in America, and he didn't really make many friends.
When his parents were killed by the touch, he somehow came out alive and he tried as hard as he could to survive. He began stealing from broken down grocery stores and helping no one but himself. He isn't selfish, but he is still trying to get out of this epidemic alive.
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Theme Song: Trouble- Ray LaMontagne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3pltmw6cmI
Trouble...
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble
Trouble been doggin' my soul since the day I was born
Worry...
Worry, worry, worry, worry
Worry just will not seem to leave my mind alone

Other: I'm going to attempt to write Charlie's posts in a British was, but since I'm American I'll have to spell things like mom and color differently, so I might not succeed.

Sample Post:
(This is just a snippit of his life before the touch. It really has nothing to do with the roleplay)

Charlie's feet dragged along the cold ground, making some kind of rhythm. He seemed almost mesmerized with it, not even bothering to look up and actually watch where he was going. Charlie bumped into people as he walked, angry people muttering curses at him. He ignored them but eventually let out a mutter. "Americans," he groaned, shaking his head. He was fourteen, having been here six years already, but he still seemed like a stranger in a foreign land. He still was angry with his parents for dragging him here. He missed London and the small amount of friends he had there.

"Sir!" came a hoarse voice from somewhere behind him. Figuring the voice was talking to someone else, he continued walking, but the voice called out again. He turned, seeing a man sitting on the side of the road, staring directly at him. The man was an older gentleman, with white long hair and a long beard to match. He had wrinkles adorning his face, almost hiding his pale eyes that were filled with knowledge and wisdom. His clothes were tattered, dirty, and torn. Charlie didn't know the man even slightly. He had no idea what the man wanted, besides the probable assumption of money, which he soon saw to be correct.

"Do you have any spare change?" the man asked, confirming Charlie's suspicions. He stuck his hands in his pockets and found a very crumpled up five dollar bill. He handed it to the gent, who eyed him like he had suddenly grown wings on his back and a halo over his head. Obviously kids his age didn't offer money to people on the streets much in America. "You're a saint," the man whispered. This just made Charlie laugh.

"I'm far from that," Charlie said. The gentleman seemed to laugh also. Then he pulled something out from around his neck and seemed to admire it for a minute before holding it out to Charlie. It was a rabbit's foot on a small, worn piece of yarn.

"Take this," he said, nodding to the foot. "For good luck." Good luck was something Charlie didn't believe in, nor did he want to rob the man. He was about to speak when the man seemed to have read his mind. "You'll need it more than I will," he said, shoving the necklace into Charlie's hand.

Charlie was about to ask what he meant, but the man stood up and walked away, leaving Charlie's wrinkled five-dollar-bill lying where he had just been sitting. Charlie picked it up and was about to go find the gentleman, but he was long gone.So, he put the necklace around him, still feeling uneasy about the conversation, but moved on, continuing the pattern with his feet.
__________________________________________________________________________

So begins...

Charlie Redmond's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Torex Character Portrait: October Sinnet
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"Ratta tatata tatata!" came a hoarse voice over the speaker, causing everyone in the old department store to sit up from their sleeping positions. It was another one of those Loonies. Insane people broke into the store's "Employee's Only" department so often, their voices over the speaker systems were not much of a surprise anymore. "I killlll youuuuuu in your sssssleeeeeep!" the voice continued, sounding more drunk and idiotic than an insane man. Fear suddenly hit Charlie like a wave hit's a surfer on a wipe-out. Had the man over the speaker been infected and went around and touched them in their sleep? Charlie gnawed on his lip and searched his suit for any signs of having been moved in his sleep. He looked fine, so he just prayed that his looks were not deceiving.

Silence came from the speakers and everything appeared to go back to normal. Everyone who had been taking refuge in the store went back to sleep, but Charlie was fully awake now. He pulled back the sleeve of his suit to reveal a watch, with a large crack down the face of the clock. Besides a cracked screen, it still worked. The time was about 5:30 A.M. It was early, but after the lunatic on the speaker, he didn't really feel in the mood to drift back into sleep. Sleep was vulnerable and he tried to be awake as long as he could.

Standing up, he quietly found his way out the broken sliding doors into the cold of the morning. The sky was beginning to lighten a bit from the dark of night, and angry looking clouds were rolling in. It looked as if Mother Nature was about to reign down on them in full fury. Outside of the store, far off in the parking lot, was the gas station that looked as if it had been torn apart by a hurricane. It was surprising all the damage panic could do.

Charlie continued walking, his destination a shoe store across the street. His shoes were broken, the soles hanging on by threads, acting more like flip flops than sneakers. When in an apocalypse, you need good shoes. When he reached the road, which used to be extremely busy because it came right off a highway, he hopped onto the chipped pavement and began walking across, the shoe store in sight. But, suddenly, a honking noise came from his right and he turned to see some idiots driving a bus, charging right at him. He screamed and leaped out of the way, only a few seconds shy from getting smashed. He came down on the pavement hard, scratching up his arms, tearing a hole in his suit.

"Where the heck did you get a bus?!" he shouted angrily after them, unheard by the drivers. He stood up and hurried to the parking lot of the shoe store. He didn't see anyone in the store, so he approached with a little less caution. He opened the door, a horrible stench hitting him. Then he noticed dead bodies lying everywhere. Yep, this was not going to be fun.

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Torex walked through the streets, wearing a grey hoodie and jeans with a pair of sneakers. He looked like any other young human guy, although he wasn't. He was a humanoid robot, created as a soldier. But he was broken, now just a broken toy of the government's.

The Dome was the same temperature it had been the day before, and the day before, and so on. 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a comfortable temperature. It was sunny, the fake sky had beautiful white, puffy clouds adorning the bright blue. It was a perfectly constructed, artificial day. Humans seemed happy, riding their bikes down streets, flying cars whizzing around the city. Women walked out of hair and nail salons, immediately finding people to show. Men headed to sports games. It was amazing that they had already formed sports teams in such little time since the Dome had been created.

Torex was not like these people. He was hiding in the dome, for he was supposed to be destroyed. Luckily, for him, he had been created to look human. He was real looking, human looking, and if he covered up where his skin panels had been torn off, he would look like any twenty year old guy, despite the fact he was younger than that. He could blend in, so no one would report a rouge robot. It wasn't like the government would put out a notice that he was missing. People would panic- and this was something the government didn't want.

A man bumped into Torex, bringing him back to reality. "So sorry," he apologized to the man, who had a really strange looking haircut and a very long nose. It was the human's fault, but Torex was programmed to be polite. He wasn't about to say "Watch where you're going!", which happened to be the man's exact response. Silly Humans...

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond
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Viola watched from a tree. Dead bodies laid everywhere. A very tall man walked through the corpses. He had just been missed by a bunch of nut jobs who had stolen a bus from an old school. Viola climbed up the tree farther, and put her weight on a thin branch. It snapped and she feel to the ground. The man turned around and started to speak, but she backed up. "Get away from me!" She yelled. "And whatever you do, don't touch me!"

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond
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William walks down the sidewalk, constantly glancing around for somewhere to stay that wasn't infested with people. She slid her hands into her jean pockets, and tucks in her chin. She was only wearing a pair of sneakers with no socks, a thin pair of faded jeans, and a white tang top that was a size too big.
William spotted a shoe store, that looked as if there weren't many people there...Hopefully none at all. She hurried to it, avoiding all all contact of the eyes. She slowly opened the door, spotting a tall man, and a girl already inside.

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond
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Viola ran out of the store, screaming. "Seriously get away from me!" She turned to the woman in front of the store. "Y-you get away from me too!" Viola ran off but then tripped.

The setting changes from America to The Outside

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William saw the girl run, then turned back to the man.
"I'm not a over reactor, but I'd appreciate it if you would stay away from me too, okay, mate?"
She told him, glancing at the corpses that were surrounding them. She stepped around him, looking around with a small curiosity. Her eyes wander to a notebook on the ground. She picks it up, and blows off all the specks of dust that were covering it. William flips some pages, and scowls.

The setting changes from The Outside to America

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: October Sinnet
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#, as written by Phoeni
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They had to drag me from the house this morning, there should be permanent claw marks in my bed frame. It feels like the sun is burning through the fragility of my skin. I wear a black blazer in this blistering heat, over a cotton black shirt and harem pants. Sunglasses hide my eyes, and a hat shades me from the sun's stealthy rays. I stand shaking still, bones shuddering against my skin, utterly uncomfortable in this huge crowd on the street. I haven't been properly out of the house in weeks and this is far too much social interaction. Between my fingers rests a cigarette, lit simply for something to hold, not to poison my lungs with. I blow poetry into the sky, only steam coming out for my efforts, but I am saved by it. With a sigh, I adjust my wait, and put the cigarette to my lips, holding death between my teeth, I spit it back out, and it comes fast and strong. The cloud heads away in the wind, to deal second hand smoke to a small child or a mother to be. There is certain dustiness to this day, and I can feel the wind hitting my shins. I do not like it. In my house there are no winds and dirt. There are far less people, and it is mostly shady, the sun cannot touch me unless I will it to.

"Oh, It was so nice to see you again Bathilda!" A loud, resonant voice flashes a sickly orange at my face, and I bury my elbows in to my eyes to cover the horrible sight.

"Shut the heck up!" I scream at the frighteningly wrinkled lady, causing a silence within the square as most gawk at me in disgust at such an unladylike young girl.

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond
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Viola ran for the nearest tree. The man and woman scared her. The sight of anyone scared her. They could have both been touched for all she knew. She had seen it. It had been in her own home, she had watched people die of this. People she loved. People she didn't even know. Her father had one of the first cases of it, and she was scared. She didn't want it to happen to her. She scurried up another tree and sat there.

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Character Portrait: Viola Marius Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder
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Charlie took in a deep breath, trying to ignore the horrid stench of death as he walked through the store. Obviously someone with the Touch had been hiding out in here and had infected the others in the store. Charlie had no idea if you could touch a body who had died of the virus and come out alive, but he made sure he tried to avoid them.

As he walked to the men's section, he looked for a size nine. For such a small boy, he had very large feet that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of his body. He usually couldn't find clothes small enough to fit him and couldn't find shoes big enough. But, to his luck, they had a pair of Evergreen colored sneakers with white soles. He slipped off his broken shoes and shove them on, trotting around in them. They fit and were comfortable enough, so he just dropped his old shoes and headed back to the front.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around his leg, which was thankfully covered by his suit. He screamed and kicked, nailing what he had assumed was a dead body in the head. The body, which turned out to be very much alive, let out a horrible scream, his iron grip not loosening on Charlie's leg. "Get off me!" Charlie cried, fear lacing every word. He had just had a near death experience with a bus- he didn't need this!

The body was lying in the aisle, Charlie straight across from the door. So, Charlie shoved the display shelf holding all the shoes, knocking it over onto the man, who's grip loosened once he was crushed. Charlie felt horrible, but was quickly distracted when a voice called to him.

"Get away from me! And whatever you do, don't touch me!"

Charlie looked up. It was a girl, who was standing by the door. His eyes widened. Charlie didn't even get to speak before the girl freaked out. "Seriously, get away from me!" she continued, only to back out the door, almost bumping into another woman who was watching the scene. She quickly continued freaking out, ordering the woman to also keep her distance as she hurried away.

"I'm not a over reactor, but I'd appreciate it if you would stay away from me too, okay, mate?" the other woman continued. Charlie nodded.

"I was planning on keeping my distance," he reassured her. She continued whatever she had come to do, noticing a notebook that had been lying on the ground. He decided it was time to go. "Careful, some of these buggers are alive," he said, nodding back at the shelf he had tipped. And, with that, he headed for the door. Once out, he began walking to the department store, this time looking both ways before crossing the road. But, before he could step onto the cracked pavement for a second time, a familiar hoarse voice called out to him.

"Can you spare a dollar?" it asked. Charlie turned around, seeing the same man who had given him the rabbit's foot he wore around his neck. Charlie ran over to him.

"You!" he cried, and the man smiled. Charlie tried to sound angry, but he was much more curious than that.

"Go to the catacombs, Charlie," the man said, barely audible this time, seeming much older than the last time they had met, right before the outbreak.

"What catacombs? And how do you know my-"

"You don't understand, boy. I'm saving you. Go to the catacombs. It's just a few miles from here. Take the old interstate and get off when you reach the second exit," he whispered. Charlie turned to look at the interstate, which went up into the air, held up by nothing. He figured it had once been stable, but now he wondered it it could even hold the weight of him, who barely reached a hundred pounds.

"You're a Loonie, aren't you," he groaned, turning back to where the man had been sitting, but he was now gone. "So what, you're Batman now?" He had never actually seen a "Batman" movie, for they were almost ancient, but he knew plenty about the legend and how he had a habit of disappearing in the middle of conversations.

Charlie wanted to ignore the man, go back to the department grocery store. But, for some reason, he wanted to know what the man had meant. So, even though he was terrified, completely unsure, he headed the direction of the old highway.

[OOC: Sorry it's so long! Charlie had a lot to say today. :) Btw, the old man was from my sample post if you were confused.]

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Character Portrait: William Walker Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond
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[ OOC: No problem :) ]

William looks up, as she hears the man's words,
"Careful, some of these buggers are alive,"
"Acknowledged."
She murmured, glancing at the bodies.
"I'm out of here."
William whispered to herself. She carefully stepped over the bodies out of the shoe store. An idea sprang into Willie's mind. She ran for her family's car, which was still parked at the store. She dug around in her pockets, searching for the keys that she still held. Finding them, a smirk appeared on William's face. No one would dare try to go near the Walker mansion. She ran towards the car, then shoved the door open, jumping in.
She stepped on the gas pedal, and speed towards home.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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Charlie stood at the bottom of the highway, staring at it, terrified it might collapse at any moment. Charlie had made a run to the grocery store before he had left. He wasn't that stupid to leave unprepared. He mainly had been in the camping section, getting a very nice back-pack, a rope, shoe-laces, a water bottle, medicine, a bag of cheesy popcorn, an Exact-O-Knife (made for cutting cardboard, not stabbing), and most importantly a flashlight.

Charlie made sure the helmet to his suit was screwed on tightly before he gingerly tapped his foot onto the highway. It didn't make a sound or a move, so he pressed his weight down. Still nothing, so he slowly stepped onto it fully, and when he was sure it seemed safe, he began to slowly walk up the road.

About 45 minutes passed by until he reached his problem. There was a section of the highway that had broken off, leaving about a five foot gap between this part of the highway and the next. Charlie bit his lip. "I think I can jump," he reassured himself, backing up. He took off with a running start and leaped across, slamming into the next part of the highway, causing the elevated road to shake just a bit. "Holy crap," he whispered, terrified. But, the bridge-like highway quickly stilled, sending him carefully on his way.

An hour or so later, Charlie saw a sign saying the exit was just up ahead, the second one he had seen that day. He quickly crossed over into the exiting lane and walked down the ramp that curved down onto a road. The road stretched out past his line of sight, along it a few fast food places, restaurants, and gas stations, but mainly houses. It seemed like a ghost town- no one was there. Charlie stopped and crossed his arms. It wasn't like he had expected a big sign reading "CATACOMBS HERE, CHARLIE!", but a the old Loonie could have been more specific. Grumpily, he began making his way down the street, for he had come too far to turn back, plus the fact he was terrified of the highway.

Charlie wasn't very far down the road when he noticed a house that looked like it had just recently been broken into, for the lights were on in one of the rooms. Charlie got a horrible feeling that this was his "CATACOMBS HERE, CHARLIE!" sign. He bit his lip, conflicted. He could go in, listen to the man who was possibly insane, or run back to the grocery store. He hated to even think it was possible, but what if the guy was sane and he really was trying to save Charlie?

"Darn it, Charlie," he cursed himself as he headed onto the porch of the house. Very quietly, he grabbed the handle of the door, which he found was unlocked, and turned it, giving the door a gentle nudge that made a squeaking sound. He bit his lip. If anyone was in the house, Charlie was pretty much dead. But, no one attacked him, so he curiously looked around. It looked like whoever had robbed the house wasn't after supplies, because when he searched the kitchen pantries were full of food. But, Charlie was, so he stuffed a bag of cookies, some almonds, and some honey into his bag. He pulled out a fork and a butterknife from the drawer for self defense, but he still rather had the Exact-O-Knife for a weapon than those, so he put them back. Then, a bright idea hit him as he quietly tiptoed upstairs into the master bedroom. He searched the room, desperately, but his searched turned up empty. There were no guns in the house and he was almost sure of it. Why would there be? The family living here would have taken it, if not the looters.

Before Charlie went downstairs, he nabbed some deodorant, shampoo, and body wash from the bathroom. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to take a shower, so if he found some way to relieve himself of stench, he would willingly.

Hurrying back downstairs, his search for some sort of catacombs a failure, he was about to leave. He was walking down the hallway to the door, when he tripped on a loose floor board. On further observation, the board was downright out of place, overlapping another. He wedged his fingers under the loose board and pulled, a small hole in the floor revealed to him. It was pitch black, so Charlie pulled out his new flashlight and shone it down into the dark, revealing it was about a six foot drop. He gulped. The catacombs were real. He had been praying they weren't, but here they were. Charlie remembered the tales of catacombs in the ancient city Paris, skulls hung everywhere like they were decorations. They were practically homes for the dead. And if any child believes in monsters in their closets and under their beds, this would have been their worst nightmare.

"You're an idiot," he told himself, about two seconds before he leaped down into the hole, crashing into the darkness.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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The catacombs had been twisting and branching in many directions; visible light had ended a fair while back. "Do you even know where we're going? I'm sure this isn't the way back," Boston questioned reaching out with his left arm to tunnels wall. (THAT doesn't feel like a wall...)

"I call that one tasty," Tech said jovially as Boston withdrew his hand from wall.

"It's a skeleton, isn't it?" Boston dryly replied. Tech nodded, unphased. Boston could see Tech was far more interested in the divergence ahead. Tech's mind was busy contemplating which road led where and Boston could see he had an idea of where he wanted to go, he was just struggling. "You know this safe spot can wait, I hardly doubt we'll run into anyone down here, understand?" Boston reasoned slowing his pace but Tech shook his head.

"No it's not far, I'm pretty sure," Tech assured, disappearing left.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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The catacombs were almost completely silent, the only noises being drips of water and the almost silent squishes of Charlie's wet shoes. The catacombs were a bit wet, Charlie guessing it had finally decided to rain above.

Charlie's flashlight did it's best to illuminate the path in front of him, but Charlie wasn't sure he even wanted to see it. Bones and skulls decorated the tunnels like it was Christmas. Some of the bones were full skeletons, expressions of horror on their decayed faces. Some of the skeletons even still had some skin on them, obviously having been dead for not too long. After his experience in the shoe stores, he almost expected one to reach out and grab him. This is why his Exact-O-Knife was so tightly gripped in his left hand, his flashlight in his right.

All of a sudden, a noise came from down the tunnel. Charlie stopped in his tracks, going completely silent. He quickly realized they were voices. He quickly shut off his flashlight and shuffled into a corner, his whole body beginning to shake in terror. The voices seemed to get louder. They were coming towards him.

"It's a skeleton, isn't it?" he heard, his heart almost skipping a beat. The voice continued. "You know this safe spot can wait, I hardly doubt we'll run into anyone down here, understand?" He wished that was true.

A voice replied, but Charlie wasn't paying attention anymore. He was racking his brain, trying to imagine what to do. He figured he would wait until they passed, hoping they didn't have a flashlight to spot him with, and he would continue the other way once they had gone by. Charlie figured it was the best plan, but he couldn't control his shaky hands, making the batteries in the flashlight shake, causing a very subtle chattering noise. He needed to put it in his pack, for if he was heard who knew how many times over he would be dead. He, slowly began to stuff his flashlight in a side pocket in the bag, but his grip loosened and the flashlight slipped from his hand.

Thump.

Charlie closed his eyes. Darn it, he thought.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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Thump.

Definitely not rats Boston summarized as options raced through his head. I could yell out to Tech but there's no guarantee Tech would hear or side with me, no telling how many of his "pals" remained. Besides... that'd expose my position. Boston pressed to the wall, annoyed with his loosely aligned companion. Slowly Boston raised his hand over his shoulder stirring Beethoven from its sleep.

The problem that plagued Boston was direction, ahead or behind? Tech was liable to be more a hindrance than help, though Boston half mused the idea of using him as bait. To bad he's ghosted on me. Boston lowered himself Beethoven still to hand, the buzz axe hadn't much action of late. With his left hand he felt the floor beneath, stopping when they met a smallish stone. Throwing the stone low towards Tech Boston stepped quietly closer to the source of the disturbance; adrenaline alerting his senses.

Boston stopped. Laboured breathing? The situation wasn't adding up in Bostons mind, and a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. Bandits don't stalk and when they chance upon strangers, they attack, not withdraw... Boston lowered his weapon, loosening his grip on the wound fabric handle. "Hey! Not foe," Boston cleared raising himself up, "Not a Bandit."

What are you doing!? Boston thought to himself. The soldier in him hated his decision but it resigned, Boston never was a good solider.

Stillness ensued followed by retreating movement. Boston lent back against the the wall. "It's over," he sighed repelling himself from the wall when he realized he'd been leaning against "Tasty" again. Boston shivered and rotated towards the tunnel Tech had disappeared down, "Creepy cannibals, speaking of..." Now where'd Tech g... Boston's mind cut off when felt something sharp against his back. It was too late. His hand clenched around Beethoven's pommel but it was still lowered to his side, it was no use.

It was no use.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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"Hey! Not foe," one called, probably to the others. He felt relief that they had probably figured he wasn't going to attack. "Not a Bandit." Charlie didn't speak, not even knowing what to do. He was to terrified. "Creepy cannibals, speaking of..."

Charlie felt worse. Cannibals? He was in tunnels with cannibals? He could feel his grip on the Exact-O-Knife tighten. He was in catacombs with Loonies who ate other people. That stupid old man, sending him here, promising it would save him. That man really had sent him to his death. He decided he had to act or else he'd be just like the skeletons, left to die, possibly eaten alive. He slowly and silently pulled off his shoes, their squishing noise in the wet of the catacombs too loud. He silently walked through the tunnel, a small figure with his back turned to him catching his eye. This was his time to act, if any. He crept up, and stuck the Exact-O-Knife to the figure's back. He didn't dare touch whoever it was, fearing they could have... it... But what was he planning to do? Hurt him? Charlie knew he didn't have the guts to do that. But, he had tipped over a shelf on a man, crushing him. Maybe he was underestimating himself.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice quivering, obviously sounding scared. "What are you doing down here- are you alone?"

Charlie pushed the knife closer to his back, the tip of it coming as close as it could get to pressing into the man's skin. If it had been lighter, the guy would have noticed the knife was small and puny, not capable of doing any real damage, but in the dark he hoped it was deceiving. Either way, he was probably dead unless he hit him upside the head with his flashlight, which he had left on the ground. Yep... he was in a very sticky situation.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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Gulp.

"Easy," Boston exclaimed, dropping Beethoven and raising his arms, "I'm Boston." There really wasn't a reason why he was down here, except of course to be a meal. "Now lets think about this..." Boston began but he was interrupted by a clash of light and bursting glass; exploiting the momentary confusion Boston leapt forward impulsively rolling sideways after he hit the floor. Boston started laughing.

"A pen knife!" A tear rolled down Bostons cheek, "I was almost diced by a safety knife?!" The stranger looked paralyzed at first but a smirk soon grew across his face and he chuckled. Boston sat smattered in dirt, hunched and smiling. He held himself with an arm wrapped around his stomach, his stunt had caused his wound to reopen in part but he did have more pressing matters.

It looked as though in this part of the tunnel old electrics were in place, though damp had set in and the complete circuit had blown. The pieces of wire left shot out low light infrequently and Boston saw his would-be assassin for the first time. Bold Boston thought, attacking with a bluff. But the true surprise was that the assailant wasn't a man, just a gaunt boy... whose longish brown waves stuck against his face. Boston was surprised to say the least, Was he in a haz-mat suit?

"You deserve to know I'm not alone" Boston confided, "Though he's a passage or so away." Boston didn't know what would happen if Tech was introduced. Tech wasn't the outward aggressor but he did seem the opportunist and that was what plagued Boston. "He's not the "normal" type, just to warn you."

Boston no longer felt in immanent danger, "So tell me about yourself kid, what's your name? And how on earth did you get in these godforsaken tunnels?"

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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"Easy, I'm Boston. Now lets think about this..."the man said, right before an explosion of light filled the tunnels. Charlie held his arm up, the sudden illumination momentary blinding him. The man rolled away, and Charlie knew he should probably panic, but he was discombobulated. It took until his eyes were adjusted for him to realize the man was facing him now, laughing. Why was he laughing?! Charlie was almost angry, more terrified, but he understood once the man spoke. "A pen knife! I was almost diced by a safety knife?!" He stood, frozen, but finally smirked. Maybe he really should have gone with the fork.

Charlie finally got to look at the man he attacked, and the man seemed to be observing him too. This guy was tall and muscular. Charlie liked it better in the dark when he hadn't seen how small that Charlie was compared to him. He liked it better when he could have been the bigger person.

"You deserve to know I'm not alone, though he's a passage or so away. He's not the 'normal' type, just to warn you." Charlie nodded, although he was still quite afraid. The guy, Boston's, companion was what he assumed was the cannibal. Lovely. "So tell me about yourself, kid, what's your name? And how on earth did you get in these godforsaken tunnels?" Charlie cleared his throat, although he didn't feel quite safe around the man.

"I'm Charlie," he said, not adding anything else, ignoring the man's other question. He didn't feel like talking about the old man who had instructed him to find the catacombs. He realized he still had his knife gripped in his hand. On another occasion, he would have put it back in his pack, but he kept it in his hand. "So how do I know you and your buddy aren't gonna eat me or something like that?" he said, deciding now to let the man know he had heard the part about cannibals.

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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The boy responded "I'm Charlie," but left the questions hanging. Defiant eyes locked Bostons, "So how do I know you and your buddy aren't gonna eat me or something like that?" Though the words came out shaky.

"Astute, I have to say," Boston tilted his head, "Not much slips past you." Boston hadn't made any inclination he was about to move and he hadn't even glanced towards Beethoven, who had been abandoned a foot or so from Charlie's feet. "These catacombs are a bandits nest from what I can figure," Boston explained thinking it through, "I was captured... some time recently, but I fought." He looked down at his stomach, the bleeding had slowed. "I wasn't fast enough apparently," Boston breathed.

Don't, not there, that's "tasty". Boston saw the kid lean back against the wall. The kid must have noticed Bostons expression because he turned, saw and shot away stumbling. "The bandits were... are cannibals, I didn't actually mange to kill them all - one survived when I succumbed to my wounds." It was quite a lot to re-tell Boston sat thinking but he did need to make this kid feel at comfortable enough to at least break off his love affair with the toy weapon.

Charlie pulled himself up, sitting a fair distance from Boston and still clasping the flimsy Exact-O-Knife. "Do you always go into a fight with THAT equipped?" Boston questioned sarcastically, "It's better than nothing I'll grant you but you must have stumbled across a variety of different weapons enroute? Ones that could actually DO damage."

"Anyway..." Boston moved on, "This one bandit - who is the cannibal I mentioned when you were ease dropping by the way - chose to aid me instead of exacting his revenge; I can't say why but something tells me this guy cares more about his next meal than camaraderie." Boston let the words sink in. He clicked his neck. "He's called Tech. He'd probably want to eat you, but then he thought I was dinner to begin with too... in fact I'm sure that hasn't changed." There was a lot said there and so Boston gave Charlie a minute to process.

I'll have to credit him on his reluctance to trust, it goes along way when surviving

Boston leant forward and pushed against his knees, propping himself up, "I don't think Tech should be left to his own devises for too long in any case, it's been long enough as it is," Boston resigned but then his eyebrow lifted, "Wanna meet a cannibal?"

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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The guy had to be what Charlie called a "Loonie". His story was almost believable, but Charlie was still uncomfortable, especially with his last phrase. Plus the fact he had made fun of the Exact-O-Knife. What did he have to fight with, his bare han-

Clink.

Charlie looked town to see his sock covered foot nudge the handle of a giant ax. Oh gosh, how had he not noticed that? He looked up at Boston. "Is this yours?" he asked. He couldn't help but smile. "If you like my weapon so much, how about we trade 'cause your sure looks nice too." No, Charlie wasn't going to take his weapon. He wouldn't know how to use it. But, he picked it up anyway, his body being yanked down at the weight, sending him staggering forward, his socks landing in a puddle and getting soaked. He stuck his knife in the pocket to his suit and positioned it so that it was resting on the ground, but Charlie still had a firm grip on it.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "Since I don't know you aren't making all of this crap up and aren't going to have my face for an evening snack, I'll keep this until you make sure you and your friend are going to leave me alone." Heck, why was he even agreeing to go with him in the first place. But, Charlie knew he couldn't carry the ax and Boston probably could, considering it was his. Boston could follow him if he tried to leave and kill him. Charlie wasn't sure he was prepared for escape yet. Especially not after he had just got word that the catacombs were infested with cannibals.

"Do we have a deal?"

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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"I'll make you a deal," he said. "Since I don't know you aren't making all of this crap up and aren't going to have my face for an evening snack, I'll keep this until you make sure you and your friend are going to leave me alone." Charlie stated unused to Beethoven's weight, "Do we have a deal?"

Boston patted his dress wound down fastening it with greater pressure, it stung but he felt more mobile. Boston raised his head at the question, "Ha, I have to say your proposal is more a relief than imposition, be careful though, Beethoven's a fickle creature," Boston indicated to the blade; he sighed circling, Now where was Tech?

Boston made his way haltingly left, and down the passage; it was longer than he anticipated. The wall on his right was caved slightly inwards, and drag marks left a trail. What's that bandit up to? Boston thought, conscious that Charlie was following close behind and liable to see the same signs.

"Just to make things clear, I am not this guys keeper," Boston mentioned, failing to face Charlie who was trailing behind. Boston lowered his head shaking, though still moving. It's truly not been my week Boston reflected, and I need to acquire an iron, this wound cripples me...

A roar could be heard close by, and carbon fumes tainted the air. "That is NOT good kid," Boston remarked, hobbling faster to lighter, nosier opening. Boston froze. The opening was a room full of all sorts mechanical parts and scavengable trinkets; though the word "safe" did not describe the place. The back opened out further into what looked like underground racer tracks.

The worst part, the part that stunned Boston, was the rattling raging buggy, shooting off into the distance. It was clearly Tech. "-------," Boston breathed, just as Charlie appeared; both gazing at the dot being devoured by darkness.

A cool breeze penetrated the chamber; the opening was obviously Tech's doing. A rag fluttered by, greasy and bloodied.

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Beethoven

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Character Portrait: Charlie Redmond Character Portrait: Rowan "Boston" Alder Character Portrait: Tech
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Charlie watched as Boston got up. Where was he going? Boston vanished down the tunnel. He gulped. If Charlie had ever had an escape chance, it was now, but he was curious. Dragging the ax, what had been referred to as "Beethoven", he followed the direction and quickly caught up with him. He was staring at the wall, and Charlie quickly realized they were drag marks. He hoped they had been made a long time ago and were just permanent scars to the wall, not the cannibal that they had been lost, but what Boston said next quickly sent that hope running for their money.

"Just to make things clear, I am not this guys keeper," Boston said, turning to face Charlie.

"Then why do you keep him around if you don't agree with... eating people?" Charlie asked, but was drowned out by a roar from deeper in the tunnel. Boston said something, but Charlie wasn't paying attention. Where had that roar came from?

Boston quickly hobbled further out of Charlie's view and he began to drag Beethoven again, but eventually dropped the ax. He hurried to find Boston. Charlie noticed a small dot getting smaller and smaller. Was it some type of flying car? They had those a lot before the Touch.

"How do you get one of... those down here?" he thought aloud, watching until the small dot of light vanished. He looked over at Boston, who looked quite frustrated. Charlie crossed his arms, assuming this was quite a problem. "Just a wild guess, but I assume that was your cannibal, right?"