Zombies On Parade...

[Rosie]

The Mall.

In years before the great disaster that fell upon this region it was a center of commerce. Thousands a day, Millions a year, walking through halls packed with people, buying Orange Juliuses and Pretzels. Handing over hard earned cash for things they most likely would consider quite trivial now. As opposed to its normal days where bright lights would greet the shopper openly this place was nothing like that. Mostly it was dark, the occasional hanging light flickering on and off in a last ditch effort to keep itself going. Bodies in various states of decay were littered along the ground.

On the third level of the local mall a figure stood with a leisurely pose, a hand touching the railing that protected people from falling down two stories to their death. Her frame leaned down, letting her body be held up by the railing, one elbow up on it as well which was connected to a surprisingly clean hand which was holding up the head of this body.

She sang leisurely, her voice echoing through the entire mall in a slow and easy tone.

I wanna roll with him a hard pair we will be
A little gambling is fun when you're with me I love it)
Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun
And baby when it's love if its not rough it isn't fun

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got

Can't read my,
Can't read my
No he can't read my poker face
he’s got me like nobody
Can't read my
Can't read my
No he can't read my poker face
he’s got me like nobody

What was she hoping for? Just one person to hear her... afterall hunting had been slow lately. Nothing to worry of but the figure in particular didn't quite like doing things for herself. Anything that involved effort was not preferred.

This scantily clad vixen needed her daily fix...


(think of the version as slower like this www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwdXnlvUe3I)

[Shiro]

Eden slowly climbed over the railing to the second floor and smiled, she was getting better at this thing every day. It had become a game for her to try and find new escape routes in case of an invasion. Not to mention climbing things was fun and she was never even allowed to imagine doing things like this when her parents were around. She missed them but it was nice to do whatever she wanted with no consequence. Sure, there were zombies everywhere and she was completely alone, but part of her really liked it.

The mall was a great place to go with no one around. Combining items she found in Hot Topic with items from Pac Sun she had finally formulated an outfit that she thought really exemplified her. She smiled in satisfaction as she passed a large mirror outside of Hollister.

That was when she heard the singing.

Maybe the radio had clicked on somewhere. Or maybe she wasn't alone anymore. She looked up and saw someone on the opposite side of the mall leaning over a railing. Her face lit up and she began to sprint toward the girl, flailing her arms in excitement.

"Hey!" She called, being immediately startled by the hoarsness of her own voice.

[Rosie]

Hearing a voice a satasfied smile spread across the pop princess' face as she slowly turned to look. It had been female... not exactly her preference for playing with but a little time with women never hurt anyone did it? Brushing her hair out of her line of view her nose wrinkled as she saw who was coming her way.

The girl couldn't have been more than 13. Damn.

Hoping to get the youngster into a trance like state Britina Moorson continued singing, a little louder now. Let the sound get into that hyper little brain... it made snapping their necks that much easier.

Easy now.Hush, love, hush.
Don't distress yourself,
What's your rush?
Keep your thoughts
Nice and lush.
Wait.

Hush, love, hush.
Think it through.
Once it bubbles,
Then what's to do?
Watch it close.
Let it brew.
Wait.

I've been thinking, flowers--
Maybe daisies--
To brighten up the room.
Don't you think some flowers,
Pretty daisies,
Might relieve the gloom?
Ah, wait, love, wait...

She stayed still, letting her target come to her.

[Shiro]

Eden's pace slowed and she began to walk toward the woman. Her head swam. She felt odd. As she got closer she realized that the person looked a little familiar. A celebrity maybe? Eden knew she was one, just not which. She shook her head but the dazed feeling wouldn't go away. She was getting closer now...

Wait.

Is her skin just a tad yellow? Yes. Eden turned and began to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction, repeatedly trying to shake the strange dizziness that was overtaking her. She didn't know what the hell the woman was doing to her, but she had brains enough to know that she was an infected.

[Skynet]

The drink machine in the Sbarro still worked, and Bud figured if Coca-Cola could clean up motorcycle engines, then it would still be good after a couple months sitting in a refrigerator. So he straightened out a crumpled paper cup and indulged greedily. Refreshed, Bud started munching on a handful of dried pasta. It was the best meal he'd had in a couple weeks. His sizable paunch was receding rapidly; he'd had to tighten his belt two or three times already.

Oh my...With a start, the old man realized that he wasn't alone. There were voices drifting down the corridor, or one voice to be exact. That sounds like an angel singing. That sounds like my dear Mandy.

So when Bud left the food court in search of the singer, he really did not expect what happened next.

[Shiro]

Eden felt her pace quickening rapidly and thought for a moment that she could indeed outrun this one. BOOM! WRONG!
Eden fell backward with a squeak and looked up to see a large man looming over her. She scrambled to her feet and darted into the Sbarro next to him. She launched over the counter and was running again down the deserted halls of the mall toward Medieval Times, there she would get a weapon, but not stop running. Her blue eyes were in panic and she could barely see her feet moving- they were a blur.
Her beret started to lift from her head and she clapped it down with a fingerless-glove clad hand, still pounding for the restaurant/theater. She could hear her heart beating in her ears and feel her pulse in her eyeballs.

She could also feel a massive bruise forming on her butt.

[Skynet]

Bud was nearly flattened by the little red-haired girl who was running like a bat out of hell. Singer momentarily forgotten, he called out to her. “Hey!” he yelled gruffly. Ooh, too mean. He tried again, pitching his voice a little higher. “Little girl!” he called gently. “My name's Carl, but my friends all call me Bud.”

Although she was little and lithe, Bud was pretty speedy too. Despite his bulk, he caught up with her.

“What's wrong?” he asked. “Do you know something I don't? Should I be running too?”

[seravee]

Marie sat huddled in a pile of clothes, she had been stuck in the back of the lounge for three weeks now, food had run out two days ago and her water bottle had naught but a few drips left. She could have left, could have, but it would have killed her. She could hear the singing; she had been hearing it for the last three weeks. It was enticing, constantly tugging her forward, out of the lounge.

Marie kept her cool however; she knew that to step from the store was to die. Hell, the only reason she was alive was that she had a pair of home depot headphones of and could hardly hear anything. And yet, that singing still penetrated her protection, still wormed its way into her mind.

Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out.

She was on the breaking point. No, she was past it. Sheer dumb luck had caused her to not go charging, sword in hand, to her certain death. Well, that and a more than likely broken ankle. Her world was shaken though, when a loud gruff voice broke though the constant singing that was the scourge of her life.

Who was here, was that bitch going to get them? Was she going to be all alone in her own private hell again?

Marie continued to stare out of her dark haven, little white eyes peering out of a black moroseness.

[Rosie]

There was an immediate gritting of teeth as the girl turned on foot and ran in the opposite direction. Unwilling to admit that there was ANY flaw in her own beautiful physique Brit figured that it must have been something else. Absolutely. Besides, the little brat was probably too young to know who she was anyway.

"Hey, wait!" Brit called, following slowly, at a pace one might expect from someone wearing 4" clear heels and a mini skirt. In fact her real speed, even in heels, was better than that but she wanted to salvage this opportunity. "Please, don't leave me alone... I haven't seen anyone around here in... forever..."

The voice was pleading, almost like a lamb's bleat.

"Please?"

There's a somebody I'm longing to see:
I hope that he
Turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me.
I'm a littLe lamb who's lost in the wood;
I know I could
Always be good
To one who'll watch over me.
Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome,
To my heart he carries the key
Don't you tell him, please, to put on some speed,
Follow my lead? Oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me.

[Shiro]

Eden slowed at the man's words and turned, "There is a zombie down there--"

She was cut off by the singing and turned back to run, "We have to get away." She began to sprint again, praying that the man could keep up with her, she was afraid that he would fall behind and she would be alone again without ever having the chance to speak with the man.

She hurried forward and then vaulted over the edge of the railing in what looked like a suicide.

[Tanjuu]

The siren's song wafted throughout the area, eventually reaching the site of the delapidated Electronics Boutique. From the broken windows, a figure began to waltz out in semi-perfect timing with the music.

*What are you doing?*

Dancin', what else could I be doing?

*You're dancing to the tune of a siren's song you idiot.*

I'm perfectly aware of that, Campbell. Just thought I'd humor her is all.

Slowly and gracefully, Jack made his way across the mall towards the source of the singing.

[Skynet]

Bud gawked as the young girl plummeted over the railing. Dammit, I'm too old for this shit. He wished wholeheartedly that the zombies had just killed him and Mandy together. He cracked his knuckles and wiggled his shoulders in preparation. Then he shut his eyes and took a running leap.

The old man almost cleared the rail, but not quite. His lower half crashed through the railing, knocking him off balance, and he tumbled downwards, legs akimbo. Luckily, there was a sunglasses kiosk there to break his fall. Rather than sprawl helpless in the midst of the shards, he managed an awkward tuck-and-roll up to his feet.

It took him a couple of staggering steps to regain his balance, but soon Bud was racing full speed after the little redhead.

[Rosie]

The clacking heels echoed through the mall, following the footsteps of the two running humans. Brit stopped as she reached the rail just in enough time to see the older gentleman gain his proper footing and go to play catch up.

"Much better..." she quietly told herself, bringing herself up to sit on the offending railing's edge for a moment. "A little old... but a girl without a daddy issue is like a day without sunshine."

Hands pushed off from the railing and the Siren landed on her feet with a supernatural grace below, pausing a moment before following again. Brit could feel her mouth watering just a little. Tonight she was planning on feasting.

[Tanjuu]

*Oh she's good...*

He'd watched the spectacle from just a bit further back, seen the comically aged civillian fall clean off the railing and also witnessed a very spiffy landing by the siren.

Now what was her name? Somethin' like Brit... Britney... Britin...a... Britina! That's it, Britina... Moorson!

*Yeah, so who's Britina Moorson?*

Haven't the foggiest, but I do know she looks pretty attractive on the stance of being infected.

*Oh God, you're not thinking of-*

-Yep. I'ma gonna go talk to her.

And before Campbell could object, Jack was over the ledge and in pursuit of the elusive Britina Moorson.

[Shiro]

When Eden jumped she landed on a banner that overhung a shop. She slid off gracefully and landed on her feet, still pounding for the exit. She turned breifly to see if the man was still chasing her and as soon as she did she wished she hadn't-- another infected-- and not one of the normal ones either. She finally did what she had been trying to refrain from doing since zombies were first discovered--

"Fuck."