64 Days

It took 64 days. The computers took over. That's all you heard. Something about ''"The 5"'', AI controlled...something like that. Your brothers are into that stuff. Things got bad though. The electricity has been gone for a long time. People started heading to the cities, the big ones. It was the only place there was food, and safety. Heard more rumors that they don't let you leave when you go there. The military is working with ''The 5''. Who knows, it's all confusing. People in the area left, fast. It was just you and your aunt. Then you ran out of food, and she went looking for more. That was weeks ago. You've been stealing what you could from the neighborhood, scrounging berries and stuff from abandoned houses. You decided it was time to go find your family. They went camping up by Mt. Hood. You stayed behind because, well, you hate camping. Now you have to hike like 70 miles to find them. Great. First, you need to sneak into the [[camping store]] and pick up some supplies. That's going to be hard. There are like, gangs roaming around. Everything has gone to shit. You need to get that camping stuff. You have to find your family.

It looks like it was hit by a bomb. The whole front part of the building used to be windows. They all look like they were shattered, or shot out. The front doors still have a car wedged in them. It might be better to try the [[side door]].

It smells like burning paper inside. You take care to move slowly and carefully. There might be someone else in here, you're just not sure. Luckily, the camping stuff is right in front of you by the side door. There's a big pack of stuff. A half torn orange star is stuck to it that says, "[[Beginners Pack]]. $" the price got torn off. It looks like a good pack of stuff. There's a tent and and a bunch of other things, all bunched together on a backpack with metal frame. Or, you could [[grab some stuff]] on your own. The tent next to you says it's easy to put up and protects in the cold. You'd just need a backpack and a few other things, right?

You grab this. The noises you hear in the store are freaking you out. There might be something snoring in the back by the shoe area. You hear another noise toward the front, sounds like voices. Doesn't matter, you grab the beginner pack and get the hell out. [[You rush out the back door]] [[Get out quickly through the door you came in.]]

You sneak through the store, as quiet as you can. Someone, some thing, is snoring in the shoe section. You stay away from there. Eventually you manage to pick up the following items. -Tent (a good one) -backpack -folding shovel (not sure what good it is. Dad likes them.) -one of those LED things you strap on your head -a box of nutrition bars, a flavor you don't like, all that was left though. -a couple collapsable bottle things, with, it says, "filtration system. Drink from any source." You hear more noises and rush out through the side door you came in. [[Time to go home]]

There is a golf-cart stopped in the parking lot...didn't see any people. You hide next to an overturned dumpster about twenty feet from the side door. Sounds leak out from the doorway. Glass breaking. Laughing, several different voices. A shot. From the back of the store. [[You grab your pack and run, staying low.]] [[Stay hidden. Wait]]

You run out the door into a mass of people digging through trash. Everybody stops and looks at you. "Where you going little girl?" A man says to your right. He walks out of the pack and people form around him. He's wearing a dirty, brown polo shirt and camouflage cargo pant. There are several overloaded shopping carts behind them. [["I'm sorry, I just...gotta go home."]] [["Just leave me alone. "]]

and head to a clump of trees by the highway on-ramp. Looking through the leaves, you take in the bright blue sky that, not long ago, would have made for a great day. Now, the silence and stillness around you cast a depressing sheen on everything. Every sound you'd known, the faint buzz of electricity, was gone. You grab your new pack and take stock of what's inside. Everything is in place, but there is a lot less food than you hoped for. "Damn." [[You head home. Frustrated. Tomorrow you have to get going.]]

and make it to a line of trees. You don't stop, running toward the freeway on-ramp ahead. Your house is on the other side. Crawling over the concrete barrier, the pack slips off and falls to the ground. You take a minute to catch your breath, listening to any sounds around you. Happily, you don't hear a thing. You grab the backpack. Plenty of food. Damn! You forgot the sleeping bag. There should be one at home. Suddenly, more cracks split the air. These don't come from the store behind you. Somewhere in front of you, close to your house. A few more shots. You make a decision. [[It's time to get going.]]

"It's OK," the polo man puts his hands up, palms facing you "we're not going to hurt you. Aren't you a little young to be out here?" "No. Who are you?" You say. "We're just looking for food. Do you need help? You can come with us." He says. "No, I'm going home. My Aunt needs me." You lie. "Alright. Just checking." Most of the group goes back to digging around trying to find food or clothes. "What's going on? Out there." You point north, towards the city. "Not totally sure. They've shut down most of the city. You can get in, but not out I think. At least, that's how it seems. Most I know who went there never came back out." He looks down. "My family..." A shot explodes from behind you. You grunt, then fall in a lump to the ground. Several more shots lash out, this time not at you. The last thing you see as you lift your torso up is a pool of red puddling underneath. [[Everything goes dark]]

"Relax kid. We're not going to hurt you. Just looking for stuff to eat." The polo man says. "I don't have anything, I'm just..." A shot shocks everyone to silence. Heads turn toward the open door behind you. It sounded like it came from the back of the store. That shoe area maybe. There are breaking sounds. Laughter. Screaming, both fun and pain. The pack in front of you breaks and heads for their shopping carts, pushing them in a race to the street and away from the building. You grip your pack tighter and run towards home, away from the shopping cart group. Outside your brothers' middle school, you stop behind a group of bushes listening for anyone following. You stay for a while and don't hear anything that worries you. [[Finally, you head home to get some rest.|You head home. Frustrated. Tomorrow you have to get going.]]

You wake to a bright, blurry light. You hear soft beeps around you. There is a hose in your nose, tickling the inside, making you want to itch it. Your hands can't move. They are attached to something. The metal sides of a bed. You're in a hospital. Bright, gleaming, beeping. A mechanical whirl, then a bright blue aperture appears in front of your eyes. "You are in a hospital under the care of ''The 5''. You will stay here. We will make you operational." You can feel the tears roll down the side of your face. [[You wonder, what happened to your family?|First Steps.]]

Another shot. You're thrown to the ground. The right side of your body goes numb with shock. You hear boots approaching. Grit grinding under rubber soles. "Got one." A grizzled male voice says. [[Everything goes dark]]

You manage to get a decent amount of sleep, probably from the exhaustion and terror of the day before. You pack a few more things, a stuffed animal, and earrings your mom gave you. Time to get going. You stop briefly a few feet from the front door to look at the house. You have a feeling you're never going to see it again. It wasn't a great house, but it's been your home for your entire life. You laugh thinking about the pale greenish color your dad painted it a few years ago. He'd tried to surprise mom, but had completely gotten the color wrong. As you walk away, you brush your hand on the limbs of a tree in the front yard. The tree you and your brothers climbed daily, until the last year or so. You head out, following the map for the road taking you east. It's not the safest route, but it seems easiest. You try to stay close enough to the road, but far enough to not be easily seen. [[It's a long walk.]]

You skip going to your house. There were a few things there you needed. Hopefully, you can find them on the way. Hopefully, you come back some day. There are personal things you've left behind...things you wanted to take with you. Walking along the road is dangerous, but the map you have isn't detailed, and it's the best route you can see. [[You just keep walking.]]

It's been a long first day. Walking through the bushes has been hard, harder than you thought it would be. You haven't gotten as far as you wanted to. It'll get easier, right? You see the town ahead, worry starts to creep in. Could be dangerous. But you really need a sleeping bag. [[Go to town, hopefully find a store.]] [[Walk around the town and make due with what you have.]]

The town you saw on the map is up ahead. You stop by an old, collapsing barn to take in the area. You don't hear anything out of the ordinary. Birds wonder at your presence. The wind tries to mask the world with a swirling blow through the field of tall grass and trees. Most of all, you think about food. Should be enough for a couple days. Would be better to have more. Your trail doesn't pass another town for a while. Going into town scares you, especially thinking about what happened at the camping store. [[You have to do it. You charge forward, ready to face it.]] [[You'll cut back if you need to. The town isn't worth the risk.]]

The town is a mess. Cars are stripped of their parts. Windows of every building busted out. Trash blows in the street. A smoldering pile, you hope that isn't a hand, simmer on the other side of the street. None of the small businesses are any help. You stop every once in a while to listen for noises around you. Thankfully you continue to hear nothing. You find a small grocery store. It's the best looking place left in town. Maybe they'll have something. The smell just about knocks you over. Produce is lost under a fuzzy mound of mold. The floor is sticky from spilled liquids. When the rotten smell dies down, the sour smell of stale beer assaults you. It's like the recycle bin in the garage, except larger. There are some towels, small ones. No sleeping bags, nothing useful. As you're leaving, you hear a noise outside. A buzzing in the air. [[RUN out of the store.]] [[Stay, wait for it to pass.]]

Probably safest. There have been too many stories about weird things happening in the cities. There is an old Victorian house on the outskirts. It looks abandoned. You watched it for a while and didn't see a hint of people. Nervously, you walk around the back where there is a door open. Translucent curtains stick to the jagged edges of broken windows. A large awning juts out from the back of the house covering a large concrete porch. [[Go inside to sleep for the night.]] [[Clear a small patch on the ground under the awning. It's got holes in it, but should provide enough cover.]]

The town is a mess. Cars are stripped of their parts. Windows of every building busted out. Trash blows in the street. A smoldering pile simmers on the other side of the street. None of the small businesses are any help. You stop every once in a while to listen for noises around you. Thankfully, you continue to hear nothing. You find a small grocery store. It's the best looking place left in town. Maybe they'll have something. The smell just about knocks you over. Produce is lost under a fuzzy mound of mold. The floor is sticky from spilled liquids. When the rotten smell dies down, the sour smell of stale beer assaults you. It's like the recycle bin in the garage, except larger. There are some useful things you find. Granola bars (maple and brown sugar, not your favorite,) a can of soup your mom makes for you when you're sick, some fruit gummy packs just past the expiration (a day or two-worth the risk.) It's enough. It should last. Heading up to the front of the store, you peek out the broken glass to make sure it's safe. Suddenly, there is a loud buzzing sound. You have no idea what it is. [[RUN out of the store.]] [[Stay, wait for it to pass.]]

You stay on your path. Staying low, keeping close enough to let the roads guide you, far enough away so you aren't seen. There is an old Victorian house, it looks worn and beaten. It makes you nervous, so you just keep going. Days go on like this. It's hard walking. The food isn't good and it's barely enough. On your fifth day you get to the river. You have to cross it, and the closest point is a little ways up north. Strange buzzing noises keep coming and going, echoing through the valley where you walk along the riverbank. Up ahead, streaming down the middle of the water, you see a sailboat. The wind is strong, and the boat is moving pretty fast. You sit on a rock and watch it get closer. There are two people in it. When it gets close you can see them clearly. An elderly couple, standing together at the wheel, wine glasses in hand. They see you and wave, then you wave back. The boat silently drifts past. The buzzing picks up. Now several buzzes from different areas. Cracks, then an explosion. You look back, the boat is on fire. The mast crashes into the water as the remaining bits of boat sink into the river. [[You stay silent, still.]]

You think about //Goldilocks and the Three Bears// as you slowly walk through the house. It seems someone has already been through it. Bookcases are overturned, and glass is everywhere. On the second level, all of the beds were near windows, so they're covered in broken glass. So much for picking the bed "just right." You thankfully find a yellow blanket in one of the closets. Deciding it's safer, more hidden and will give you more warning if someone comes in, you set the blanket up in the claw-foot tub. The tub is giant, your mom would love it. You can just curl up in the bottom. It feels like a porcelain crib. Finally, after tossing and turning, hitting your head on the side, and crying for a moment, [[you get to sleep.]]

The ground is hard. As you sit there, trying to sleep, you think again about going to town and getting a sleeping bag. You really need one. It's good there is an emergency blanket in your pack. It keeps you warm as it gets colder than you think it will. Sleeping was uncomfortable, but at least you were sleeping. Until a foot, kicking at your legs startles you awake. "No no no....leave me alone." You see several people. You start to scream. A woman drops something and jumps on you. She covers your mouth. "Be quiet. You'll get their attention." She says, her blue eyes burning. You struggle for a moment, then another set of hands pin your legs down. Tears welling up, you give up fighting, hoping to find another way out. "Look little one, we're not here to hurt you." The woman says. You look into each other's eyes. Something in the deep blue contrasting with her dirty blonde hair makes you believe her. [["Alright, let's get out of the open."]] A man says.

"HEY!" The voice shocks you awake. You press yourself into the curved side of the tub, trying to get as far away from the voice as possible. "Go away!" You look side to side quickly, panicked. "Calm down, calm down." A male voice says. You can't, but you manage a few words. "I'm sorry...didn't know you were home." You look at the man. He has a big jacket on, caked with dust and mud. Your breath seizes as you see a large gun in his right hand, a machine gun. He sees your glance. "Don't you worry. I'm not gonna hurt ya. This is, well I'll tell ya later. Why don't you get out of there." He helps you out, you gather your stuff together. He's got several others with him. A woman with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her hair is matted and gross. Her jacket matches the man's, green and puffy, but her jeans are dirtier than the jacket. The other is a black man with little hair. He's a bit pudgy, but large and powerful looking. He has a kind face, and helps carry your pack back down the stairs. "Where are we going?" You ask. [["Below."]]

They lead you to a basement, but it was different. You entered from the outside. Everyone in the group had a big gun, and pointed it at the sky when you were outside running to the door of the basement thing. Inside it was bright, candles burned all over the room. Someone, the woman, pointed you into a giant blue recliner. "This is where we hide. We heard you, upstairs. The floor creaks." The man said. He took off a ski-cap, and his hair was wild, sticking up randomly in all directions. His face was covered with grey stubble. At least now she understood how they found her. She should have checked the whole house. "What, who are you? Is this your house? I'm so sorry." You stumble out. "Not our house. We found it just like you did. We were on the run. Our group got taken out by the drones." You look confused. "Have you seen the drones yet?" "No" you say. "Soon enough. We're what's left of a group fighting ''The 5''. Got massacred out East." "Was that the large black cloud thing the other day?" "Yeah. Bad time. We've been here a couple days." The man introduced himself. His name was MAx. "Big M, big A, little x. Just the way I like to spell it." He'd been a gas station worker until a few weeks ago. Then the group came to his station, got him on board. "What are you doing out here?" The woman says. [[I'm looking for my parents. They went camping without me.]] [[I, I can't tell you. I'm going somewhere.]]

You see the drone a moment before it turns and locks on you. You run along the side of a building separating you from the drone. Resting your back against the wall, you wonder what to do next. You could head back to the store. Stay there. Maybe... The buzzing changes. It's coming up on your right. You move along the wall in the opposite direction. You realize you've made a mistake when you hear a second buzzing sound on your left. Then a third. [[The buzzing gets louder, but you never see them.|Everything goes dark]]

It doesn't. The sound just hums, and hums, and buzzes and buzzes. It drives you mad and sets your nerves on edge. Stooping doesn't help you see it. You set out for the back of the store, maybe the door back there will be better. The backroom is worse than the store. The large freezer in back is propped open and no longer cold. Foul, sour smells assault you. There is just enough time to draw in a big breath and hold it. If you have to breathe it in one more time, you'll lose your stomach. Inching open the heavy door, you see it leads to a small, covered shipping area. As you sneak out and catch your breath, the door slips out of your hand and slams shut. The buzzing grows near. You run between buildings, turning, going back. The buzzing never stops, it only gets louder. A shot rings out. Was that a gun? That would have been your only thought if something wasn't lighting your leg on fire. You stop and look down. A trickle of blood flows out of your pant-leg. Your eyes grow heavy. You stop and sit on the concrete, back against a building, or circus. [[Today was the ribbon class.|Everything goes dark]]

You tell them about your parents, your aunt, your house, the camping store...everything. It just spills out. You've been waiting for someone to talk to and trust. Something here feels safe. "Damn." Several people say. "What? What's wrong?" Something starts rising inside you, a horrible pit in your stomach. "Show her." The blonde woman, Carrie, says. "I, alright. Closer to dusk." MAx says. [["No! I want to know NOW!"]]

"Look kid. You're not going to make it. The drones are everywhere, and there are more every day." He looked tired. "What are they? I don't understand what's going on. I just want to find my family." "The drones, from what we can see, are hunting down anyone not in the city." The blonde woman, Carrie, says. "I, oh my God. My..." "Where were they? Maybe they are in the city?" MAx says. "No way, they wouldn't leave me." You say "Some didn't have a choice." Tears well up in Carrie's blue eyes. "Where were they?" MAx asks. "Hood. Little Crater Lake. It's a camp..." "I know it." Another person, the large black man says. "Show her MAx." "What? What is it?" Panic starts to well up inside you. "Damn. Come on kid, I don't want to, but you have to see it." MAx says. [[You get up to follow him outside.|"No! I want to know NOW!"]]

They lead you to a basement, but it was different. You entered from the outside. Everyone in the group had a big gun, and pointed it at the sky when you were outside running to the door of the basement thing. Inside it was bright, candles burned all over the room. Someone, the woman, pointed you into a giant blue recliner. "This is where we hide. We watched when you showed up. Didn't know who you were. Just waited for you to fall asleep." The man said. He took off a ski-cap, and his hair was wild, sticking up randomly in all directions. His face was covered with grey stubble. At least now she understood how they found her. She should have checked the whole house. "What, who are you? Is this your house? I'm so sorry." You stumble out. "Not our house. We found it just like you did. We were on the run. Our group got taken out by the drones." You look confused. "Have you seen the drones yet?" "No" you say. "Soon enough. We're what's left of a group fighting ''The 5''. Got massacred out East." "Was that the large black cloud thing the other day?" You say. "Yeah. Bad time. We've been here a couple days." He's staring at a boarded window, like he can see beyond. The man introduced himself. His name was MAx. "Big M, big A, little x. Just the way I like to spell it." He'd been a gas station worker until a few weeks ago. Then the group came to his station, got him on board. What are you doing out here? [[I'm looking for my parents. They went camping without me.]] [[I, I can't tell you. I'm going somewhere.]]

MAx grabs a telescope, an actual telescope and brings it with him. "Uhm, are you going to tell me they're in space or something?" "No, but it's pretty far to see. This will be best." He finds a pile of logs out back of the house to set the scope on. Carrie and Doug (you heard her call him that,) kneel next to you watching the skies. "Alright. Yep. Oh, that's worse than yesterday. Here kid, look at that." You put your eye up to the small eyecup. "What am I looking at?" "That's Hood. Right around the area you're talking about." MAx says. "What..." Then you see it. Huge patches of trees broken. Hundreds of black things swirling overhead. "are those?" "Some, birds. Most, drones of one kind or another. They've been clearing out the woods for days. Nothing left up there. Carrie here had some friends get out. They said everything was destroyed." "What's your name?" MAx asks. "Alex." "Alex, there's nothing up there. If you try, they will get you. Those things run all day and night. Solar on the wings. We shot one down, nearly killed us all, it was still running on the ground. You can't go, you just can't. They're not there. They went to the city, or they're just gone." He puts a hand on your shoulder. You want to strike out at him. You want to yell. But the reality of everything starts hitting you. Somewhere, you knew you'd never make it to the mountain. [[You had to try.]]

"Alex. Look, why don't you stick with us for a while. We'll teach you some stuff, and maybe you can help." MAx says. "If that thing, this 5 computer thing, killed my family, I will help you destroy it." You say with a new confidence. "Alright kid. Not today. You can't get it today. It's going to be a long fight. Let's get back inside." You face the shattering sadness of your family fate. Hopefully, they made it to the city, and you will be reunited one day. If they are dead, you will avenge them. [[''The 5'' will not get away with it.|First Steps.]]

You cry, silently, for the old couple. They looked so happy in their last moments. Now you know what the buzzing is, and it terrifies you more. The next few days are harder. Ducking, dodging, staying low and avoiding the buzzes. 8 days after you left it looks like you are near. There is a large patch of green between you and where the campsite is. You sit and wait for a while. There are no noises. No buzzing. Knowing you're close, you put your pack down. You can run faster through the tall grass and duck when you need to. When the wind picks up, whooshing through the valley, [[you break from the treeline.]]

You make it through the grass, back under another thicket of trees. Catching your breath, you become aware that there is a group of people watching you. You stare back at them, abruptly someone comes charging at you. The person looks familiar, but strange. The man sweeps you up in a giant hug. It's your father. He's got a beard, you've never seen him with one. Your mother and brothers join him. You exhale as your squished between them. You made it! [[The End|First Steps.]]