Survive the Crimson Sunrise I

[Eulaliaaa!]

Eul woke in a state of panic, cracking her knuckles several times to calm herself down as she looked around for something - anything that would help. She pulled at the clothes, every seam on them causing her brain to scream at her mercilessly. She looked around at her surroundings, noting every single detail of the place. Then, finally, she looked over at the others. "Does anybody know anything about what's going on here?" Her backpack. She needed her backpack. And her machete. Where was it? She closed her eyes, cracking her knuckles again before looking around the room again, forming different plans in her head.

[Fatch of Southsward]

The door opened, and two figures emerged. They took several minutes to unlock several padlocks, before finally opening the chain link gate into the compound.

One figure was immediately recognizable as Squire. The other was a tall man, with a grey mustache and a warm looking winter coat with a fur interior.

They took a second to survey the area, which had several bunk beds in a corner, a few cots in another corner, a firepit in the center surrounded by lawn chairs, and posts with chains throughout the rest. Eul, who was looking around the area carefully, also noticed the upper half of a fire escape ladder, broken off beyond reach on the wall.

The tall man with the gray mustache and coat was wearing the pair of boots that Jason had seen just before falling asleep.

He was clearly the leader, Squire bowed his head and stood behind him as though in respect.

"Ahhh, this is a sight for sore eyes. A few of you" - his eyes darted towards a beaten looking group in the back left "are old friends, who made a few mistakes and nearly destroyed everything. We can find it in our hearts to forgive you."

Others of you are new - his eyes darted towards the survivors.

"No doubt you consider yourself wronged. Well I'm here to tell you this is only fair. You see, this world is no longer just about survival. It's about resources. It's about contribution. You" - he pointed towards the newcomers - "Owe me a cow, that we put down for steak. Raise your hand if you own a cow."

He shook his head at the group. "What a shame. Luckily for you, we forgive those who take from us. We do require them, however, to give back. That's why you'll be working, and hard. You've paid back the cow when I say you have. No nonsense. Understand?"

[Hickory]

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "And who says that you'll be decent enough to uphold your offer?"

[Eulaliaaa!]

"Sir," Eul said, deciding to take on a more reasonable tone. "If that cow cost you anything and you couldn't afford to give it to us, why did you not say so before you gave it to us? We would have been able to decide whether or not we wanted to take it or not. I think it would be fair for you to let us go. Really, you lied and we owe you nothing because we didn't know."

[Delthion]

Delthion kept his head back calmly, he didn't care if he had to work hard, although he expected that in a few weeks he might. "So that was the purpose to all of this!" he muttered. But he did nothing else besides listen the the rest of the group.

[Fatch of Southsward]

The man shook his head slowly.

"Ahh, yes. I thought it might come to this. We've got to learn a lesson, I see. Squire, which are the new people?"

Squire walked forward, he pointed each person out.

"Jason, Delthion, Eul, Antonio, Wilbur, Kyle, Ryan and Randall, sir."

The tall man stepped forward.

"I've failed to introduce myself. My name's Tyler. Tyler Byurn. I'm the leader of this little community. Now maybe you had it good out there, maybe you didn't. But you're here now, and you serve me, you belong to me. You work to repay your debts. You will come to me for food, shelter. I will provide, but for everything you take you must repay. Already you have spent a night taking shelter in my compound. Two days work I'd say. Possibly a week each for the cow."

"Now, I know you don't seem to believe in my power. That's why you're going to be disciplined. Taught to fear. Squire, your weapon please."

Squire shivered and slowly handed Tyler his .45 pistol.

"Now, lets see. Two major things I don't like. You" - he pointed at Kyle with his weapon - "challenging my decency, and you" - he pointed his gun at Eul - "challenging my honesty. How can I forgive you? Thing is this is personal. I can't. That's why we'll have two punishments. One for each thing you've done."

He hesitated and then fired his gun twice at random, two survivors fell to the ground dead.

Randall and Ryan were no more.

"Now that that's settled. Time for work. You'll be expanding our walls on the eastern side. The hammers, nails and boards are in the corner. You'll have loaded AKs on you at all times, don't even think about escaping."

He started to walk away, then turned suddenly. "One last thing. You work hard. If I consider your work under - par, someone dies for it."

[Eulaliaaa!]

Eul looked down at the ground, hoping to cause no more trouble. This man clearly couldn't be reasoned with. "I apologize, sir," she said as sincerely as she could, though she was furious and didn't want to dwell on what could happen. She hadn't failed to notice the fire escape ladder, and the bunk beds that could be moved to reach it. Maybe during the night when everyone was asleep she could move a bunk bed and take a quick glance at the surroundings around the fire exit before making a move. Whatever she did, she didn't want to leave the others behind.

[Groddil]

Jason decided it was time to pipe up, before Typer left. He cleared his throat and addressed the settlement's leader.
"Mr Byurn? If I may? I just wanted to say something, and Squire should tell you the same. When Delthion and I first arrived at your community, we said we would be glad to help in any way we coul to repay you. I apologise if I sound rude, but my point is that, unlike some..."
He shot a glance at the other prisoners.
"...We were grateful for the shelter you provided us with. If you wanted our services, you merely had to ask. I just feel like this is a bit...extreme. Anyway, I've said my part. I suppose I had best save my breath for the work."

[LT Sandpaw]

As the gun went off Antonio flinched, looking away as Randall and Ryan slumped over. It had been his idea to walk up and trust these people, a idea he was regretting. He could say nothing for Jason and Del, but the others had trusted him, and he had failed. But if years of medical practice had only taught him one thing, it was not to dwell on one failure.

Pulling his chain as far as it would go Antonio shuffled to the left, where one of the people, Tyler had called, "Old friends." Were chained.

"Hey," He said to an older man, the closet person to him, and the only one Antonio could talk to without shouting. "I've done the simple math sir, if one night of sleeping in his compound means two... Two... Aargh. Two. Nights of work, and one meal means seven, we'll be here awhile." Drumming his fingers on the floor Antonio continued nervously. "How long does Byurn intend on keeping us?"

[Hickory]

Kyle watched the two dead men go limp. Staring at Typer, he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it abruptly. "You," he shot at Jason. "Fast talking your way out? Typical..."

[Fatch of Southsward]

The man Antonio has spoken to, a man wearing a plaid shirt, shook his head:

"He intends on keeping you forever. In a week or two, your 'debt' to Byurn will be a year's worth of work." He said, with a Hispanic accent discernible.

"You will work until you die or he kills you. We barely escaped last time, made a break for it when a crowd of zombies distracted the guards. He sent out a search party. Captured us two weeks later. Half of us still live."

Tyler raised one hand, and immediately all the chatter fell to silence.

"Squire mentioned you in particular, Jason. While the others work, you will come with me for a little while. We'll have a little chat."

OOC: @Groddil the contents of this conversation will be PM'd to you. It is your choice to share them with the others or not.

BIC:

"The rest of you are wasting time. Get to work!"

The survivors soon found themselves pounding in nails, under close watch. They were close together, and found that quiet conversations could be held without the guards noticing. Jason had not yet returned.

[Hickory]

Kyle drove another nail into a board. "This is terrible structural design," he commented, so himself mostly. "Screws would be a far better choice of fastener, but hey..."

He opened another box of nails and started on more wall.

[Eulaliaaa!]

OOC: Are the survivors wearing any shoes? If so, what kind and what do they look like? Also, what kind of material are they going to be walking on? Concrete? Dirt? It's not that important if you're not gonna use it against me in the story

One more thing, how long are the nails? I may be getting too detailed here, but if this were real life I think it would be important to know.

[Fatch of Southsward]

OOC: I wouldn't worry about it too much, but you're wearing workboots from the supermarket. The nails vary in size from 1 -3 inches.

The compound is dirt. The inside of the supermarket is concrete.

[Delthion]

OOC: Woah! That went really fast! I wasn't able to respond at all...but it's my own fault I suppose. I am confused though, who are all of these people and what are we supposed to do?