When the bombs dropped. (Kiyr GM)

[Arthur Woodson]

She thought she heard a sound. Another person, but when she stopped to look all she heard was silence. No birds, no people, just her own ragged breathing. She clutched her side as she continued on, slower than before as her body protested every move. The hand around her side brought her little comfort for the pain she felt, and even less for the almost overwhelming desire to just curl up into a ball, close her eyes until she woke up in her own bed.

But she couldn't do that. As much as she wanted to believe this was all a horrible nightmare, the throbbing pain she felt, the air against her face, and the pit in her stomach left no doubt. This was real.

When she finally reached her neighborhood and saw the destruction that had befallen it she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound other than air escaped. Her throat tighten and her vocal cords refused to make a sound. Her whole body wracked with silent sobs as she rushed to what remained of her house.

Her breathing was ragged, her body begged her to stop. She must have looked horrible, like an extra from a cheap Apocalypse movie. But she didn't care. She needed to find someone, anyone in the rubble. No, she didn't want to find anyone. She didn't know what she wanted as she frantically searched the remains of her home.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Stumbling around in the dark eventually leads her to trip over something that gave way. Something she missed before, because it was dark enough to have been missed as she rounded the corner.

It's her father's leg.

It's not attached to the rest of him.

[Arthur Woodson]

She tripped and biffed it on a pile of rubble. Something soft, well softer than building materials. Scrambling in the rubble she tries to see what it is. Picking it up, another silent scream fails to leave her lips as she tosses it away from her. Curling over a random bit of rubble and violently throwing up.

[Kyrie Blaze]

After the teen recovers enough to look around - and probably not in the direction she just tossed her father's leg - and get up and move forwards...she spots something in the rubble.

It's her mother's hand.

It is attached to the rest of her.

[Arthur Woodson]

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her Mother's hand protruding out of the rubble. Tears streaming down her red puffy eyes as she scrambled to it as quickly as she could. She didn't care about any bumps or bruises she might get from the rubble.

Frantically she looked for somewhere to grip the rubble and try and lift it off of her. Silently praying that her Mother would still be alive. Begging and pleading with God to let her not be alone. She couldn't handle being alone...

[Kyrie Blaze]

Quite a bit of the rubble she can shift on her own! One of the larger chunks, however, that is right overtop of her mom...she can't. But if she looks around there is a beam she can maneuver to get enough leverage to lift and even tip the rubble away from her mother's body.

[Arthur Woodson]

She looks for something to use as a lever, pushing it under the large piece of rubble with some effort and trying to lift up the big pieces. It was hard, and it took several laborious tries, pushing her body to the limit. She was exhausted, and everything was hard. But she had to get her Mom out of there. She had too!

When she was finally able to get the tip off her Mom she tried to lean the lever against something to hold it in place while she desperately tried to pull her Mom out of other rubble. She didn't know if she was alive or not. But she had too. She just had too...

[Kyrie Blaze]

Anna finds that, perhaps if she moves the beam she was using as leverage, she will have a better chance of shifting the rubble...and perhaps wedging her piece beneath one large chunk right next to her.

She will have to be careful, and throw her weight into it for it to work...but she can do it!

[Arthur Woodson]

She does so! Her body aching with effort as she pushes all of her weight into it, begging her muscles to not give out until she was done. When it was in place she gingerly let's go, waiting to see if it would stay. When it did she breathed a sigh of relief, however small, and proceeded to try and pull her Mother out of the wreckage.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Anna's mother makes no real movement as the teen manages to haul her out. The metallic tang of blood is on the air, and even as dark as it is, the blood heavily staining her mother's lighter clothing is very much visible.

Her mother's skin is cold. She's dragging deadweight.

[Arthur Woodson]

It doesn't stop her from dragging her Mother out of the rubble. It was just something she had to do. Her Mother's cold corpse was something that she needed right now. And even as she dropped to her knees, silently sobbing as she buried her tear stained eyes into the dirty and bloodstained fabric of her clothes, it brought her some comfort. However minor.

She didn't know what to do now. She was lost, alone, beyond tired, and sore. She had nothing left, no purpose. She lay down in the rubble, curling against the body of her Mother and just cried herself to sleep. She gave up.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Not even in slumber did Anna catch a break. She was plagued by nightmares and strange dreams. When she wakes up, she can see the extent of the damage. The smell of blood and burnt flesh still permeates the air, but it may not bother her as much anymore.

She has, after all, been breathing it in for countless hours.

Does she search the wreckage, do anything for her mother's body, or leave in the hope that someone she knows is still alive?

[Arthur Woodson]

When she stirs from her fretful night still curled against her Mother's corpse in the wreckage of her home she manages a few silent sobs before she runs her arm over her face. Wiping away her tears and smearing the grime on her face. She tries to dig through the rubble to find what remains of her family and a shovel.

The only thought on her mind is that they deserved to be put to rest. She couldn't leave them for scavengers to pick at their bodies. She needed to do it for them, only then could she try and find other survivors. Her friends, a teacher. Someone...

But this smoldering lot was keeping her chained until she could give them what they deserved.

[Kyrie Blaze]

With no food (aside from finding granola bars and other dried goods by chance, though they are smushed and worse for wear) and no water, it takes Anna quite a bit of time to search for the rest of her dad. It turns out most of his body had burned, but she did find his torso and head and another arm.

She finds a shovel as well.

Does she keep any mementos from them, or anything else she finds in the ruins of her own home?

. o O ( Mementos are currently ordinary and are not imbued with stats or powers. )

[Arthur Woodson]

She gingerly takes the wedding rings off of her parent's hands and the bracelet off of her Mother's wrist. Sliding the bracelet on and putting the rings on the chain that held her crucifix she let out another choked up and silent sob. They were gone, but this way she had part of them with her wherever she went.

Her throat burned and her stomach churned in protest. But the stench of burned flesh no longer registered with her. She just felt numb. Tired, but emotionally drained. With the smallest of grunts she started to dig in her back yard. She would probably end up going another day without food and water. But if she died at least she would die with her family.