Safe and Sound
It Friday Fictioneers day here on Planet Blog, hosted as always by the talented Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Randy Mazie.
The idea is to write around 100 words in response to the supplied photo which this week shows a library. Everything looks very idyllic, but very quiet.
Too quiet perhaps? Where are all the people? Where could they be?
This story was inspired by the video game “The Last of Us”, which I just finished (on “Easy”, because I’m rubbish).
To see other stories for this week, click on the little blue frog below.
Copyright Randy Mazie
His goal in site, Drayvin collapsed, exhausted, falling from his bike to the grass. Infected three months ago, he had cycled through deserted streets piled high with stinking corpses, searching for The Library – a rumoured enclave of plague survivors.
He awoke to the sound of voices.
“He’s immune!”
“Infected but still alive!”
“A miracle!”
Feeling safe at last, Drayvin tried to move but found himself restrained. Confused and frightened, he strained to hear the voices in the next room.
“…immunity, we need to know…”
“..maybe in his brain…”
“…euthanise him first, then I’ll dissect the grey matter…”
Darkness fell as the potassium stopped his heart.
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draliman on life 
Put em down and dissect the brain? What did the world come down with, rabies?
Blasted foaming possums, no doubt!
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It was the possum plague.
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YIKES, was he poisened, Draliman 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Evening 🙂
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He survived a plague only to be dissected 😦
You have a happy evening too!
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Probably just as well you aren’t doing a write up on National Squirrel Day, eh?
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Mr Evil Squirrel himself also said something along those lines 🙂
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Poor Drayvin. 😦
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He would have been safer staying out on the streets 😦
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Safety is all relative.. I wonder if he turned into vaccine .. hopefully they caught the plague from him.. selfish bastards.
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Looks like immunity from the plague is no guarantee of safety.
I guess their rationale is “kill one to maybe get a vaccine to save the world”.
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Drayvin may have only lived one hundred words but let us hope his brain gives more in death or may they all be killed by possum plague.
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Let’s hope dissecting him was worth it! I expect they’re fed up dissecting possums.
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The voices in the next room – Could they have been the evil bio-terror scientists who got infected by their own plague-carrying possums? I hope so 🙂
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Maybe that’s why they’re so desperate to find a cure.
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And so the darkness returns, lol. Great job 😉
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Yeah and about time 🙂
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It’s like I imagine The Walking Dead or The Stand to have been like in the early days of the outbreaks.
I was thinking about getting that game, other than having to play it on easy was it worth it?
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Also “28 Days Later”, in which you actually see the outbreak.
It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played. It has a great storyline. And the PS4 remastered edition also includes “Left Behind”, which fills in some of the back story (I’ve just started that). It’s a bit scary though, I actually shrieked out loud at one point 🙂
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I didn’t even notice the guy on the grass until I read the story. XD
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That’s Drayvin! Poor fellow 😦
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Man! you really like “kill, crush, destroy” stories dontcha 🙂 Poor Drayvin, so unfair. He survives the plague only to be bumped off by a bunch of callous boffins. They could have examined a blood sample–maybe even develop a serum to give protection for the future. Stupid idiots!
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I think they’re hoping the cure is residing in the brain. “Kill one to save the world”, kind of thing. Callous, indeed.
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Well that was damn depressing.
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Yup. I’ve been watching/playing too much Resident Evil/The Last of Us/The Walking Dead recently (all three in one day a week ago).
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I could see that playing out before me. Nicely done.
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Thanks 🙂
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“Goal in site?” Now that was depressing. 😉 I like the irony that they’ll be safe in the library, not a lot of people going there, I suppose. Good one.
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Only the bookworms were safe when the plague struck!
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Wow, that was a little harsh.
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Hopefully his brain will yield a cure. Doesn’t help him much, though 😦
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Ali, I see you’re in the dark, scary zone again.
I guess if someone feels ill they better stay away from the library, even if a fine is due. Well written. 🙂 — Susan
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I think if you might have immunity and a fine is due as well, they don’t even bother to euthanise you first 😦
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if anything, i guess in this case the journey was the reward.
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It certainly wasn’t the dissection.
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Death by irony. Poor Drayvin. Seems as though being cooped up in the library had left the survivors a little unhinged
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They’ll do anything at this point to find a cure I guess.
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Oh lordy! Now put those games away and behave your self 😛
Ellespeth
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But I like my games 😦
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Dear Ali,
So much for being safe in the library. Very dark. I like it. Well played, sir.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thanks! I expect he thought he was one of the luckiest people on the planet, being immune and all.
Ali
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A disturbing story. Nowhere’s safe when survival is threatened.
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Indeed, desperate people do desperate things in the name of survival.
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Nicely done. All that work and . . . nothing! Makes me kind of sad – in a good way.
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All the challenges and hardship he must have faced to reach “safety”…
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Such dark images, Draliman! Oh those video games. ;_)
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The video games are turning me towards the dark… oh wait, I was already there 🙂
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Plague – the epidemiologists there would sure be a worried lot. Like your take on this one.
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Thanks! I hope there are some qualified epidemiologists left alive to be worried 🙂
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Oh no. What a sad end to his hope of safety. Poor Drayvin!
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And after all the perils he faced getting there 😦
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All in the hope and trust of the unknown. How hard life must have been in his reality. You story has run away with my imagination 🙂
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A few survivors trying to scrape together a living and hopefully find a cure or at least a vaccine. I think I watch/play way too many shows/games of this nature! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Wow, great story with an interesting twist. I guess the library wasn’t quite the haven he had hoped for….
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His immunity unfortunately was the death of him, rather than his salvation.
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Dear Draliman, WOW – Science Fiction – awesome! Where is Will Smith? Too bad the people in the other room weren’t smart enough to let him live and study the disease that he had survived only to be done in by some Frankenstein doctors. Good story! Nan 🙂
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Dear Nan, Will was unfortunately absent so it’s been left up to the “ordinaries” to find a cure 🙂 Let’s at least hope that the key to the cure is in Drayvin’s brain as they’ll only get one chance! Ali
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Oh my this is so gruesome…and so well written in so little words.
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Thanks! It’s been a while since I did gruesome.
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I usually enjoy writing better than reading it…it actually scares me.
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Well, parts of the game which inspired the story (“The Last Of Us”) absolutely terrified me. Good game, though 🙂
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Dear Draliman,
They’re killing the goose that laid the golden egg. The only thing good that can be said about Drayvin’s fate is that all of his problems are over. A great tale and well written.
Aloha,
Doug
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Dear Doug,
Thanks! Yes, at least his trials and tribulations are over. It sounds like a pretty harsh world he’s just left.
Ali
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Oh dear, pity Drayvin wasn’t in a better state when he arrived. Let’s hope his body provides them with the answers they need. Well penned.
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I hope so too. At least then his death will mean something.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Some people just can’t get a break.
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He was probably just planning the rest of his life when the bone saw started to whirr 😦
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Darn!
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Ah, love it. Great take on the prompt, and I can see the videogame influences just peaking through at the corners.
Nicely done/
KT
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Glad you liked it!
It’s amazing how many stories I write come from stuff I’ve just read/watched/played. Or understandable, as it puts me in a certain frame of mind I suppose.
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Creepy suspense that put me nicely on edge! Well done!!
~ Andrea ❤
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Thanks, it did its job then 🙂
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I’ve had this picture on desktop for a possible idea prompt for a while- I had yet to see the “guy” at the pole. I thought it might have been a bookbag. Great idea!
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Thanks! I’m pretty sure it’s a guy, hard to see… 🙂
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