Apocalypse RP #3: The Vanishing

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

You have a view of outside through the large living room window. From he angle you're at you can see down the street, and realize that the house you're in isn't the only one on fire. Streaks of flame fly by and are assaulting every house you can see, turning the suburbs into a sea of flame.

[Philote]

Nix shifts to a crouching position and moves over to the front door with his now mostly filled sack of loot.

(If there is a window or doggy door he peaks through that, if not he slowly cracks open the door until he gets sight of a dog or it is fully open.)

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Across the street, lit by the light of an entire neighborhood burning down, you see a small dog wreathed in fire. It's body is stiff, tongue is lolling out of it's mouth, and it's tail wags back and forth faster than any you've ever seen. It jerks it's head and more fire flies from the ring surround him and impacts some already burning houses.

[Philote]

So much for his big talk on hunting the dogs down from the day before. He did not have the rest or lack of common sense to deal the creature out on the street at the moment. It was time to cut his loses, run, and let the whole neighborhood burn down for all he cared. Nix closes the door as silently as he can and backs away from the entrance.

"Ben!" Nix says giving his best attempt at yelling a whisper up the staircase. "I'm leaving out the back. The house is doomed. If you want to join me you need to come now!"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben had frozen in fear at the top of the staircase where he clung to the wall with a truly impressive tenacity. His eyes, closed tightly to block out the world around him snapped open as Nix's voice echoed up the stairwell. He tried to pry himself from the wall, but terror paralyzed his legs. He whimpered. The walls about him began to rattle as the studs in them began to vibrate. His powers were acting up again. He couldn't move, but he couldn't stay. He could feel the heat of the flames on his cheeks as the fire continued to spread. He felt as if the world were closing in on him and there was nothing he could do to escape it. Ben began to panic. His vision blurred. His mouth went dry. His limbs went numb.

And all at once, Ben stepped out of his own mind.

It was strange, watching the events unfold as if watching from somewhere else through a stranger's eyes. Ben stood and turned to the stairs, not a sign of fear anywhere on his face. He calmly slid down the steps, balancing himself with the railing. In seconds he was at the bottom. He could see Nix there, waiting for him.

[Philote]

"Alright, we're getting out of here" he says as Ben comes down with Jeff not far behind. "The others are on their own until we are no longer burning to death"

Nix leads the group to the back of the house and makes a break for the fence.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Nothing gets in your way as you spring out the back door, past the busted fence and out into the woods beyond.

[Philote]

Nix keeps going until their is a sizable tree to hide behind and motions for his remaining allies to do the same.

"Well Jeff, do you hear them?" Nix asks not sure if he should apply the question to his lost comrades or to the pack of dogs first.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben throws himself behind the tree and presses his back to it. After taking a moment to catch his breath he leans out ever so slightly to see the inferno that was slowly consuming the house.

"Do we help them?"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Jeff quickly collapses, pressing his ear to the ground. "They're coming in, all of them. They must be trying to corral anyone trying to get out of the house, but I don't think they know where we arughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

There's a sound like jelly being squished as one of the little westies flows out of Jeff's face and takes off at a dead run. It circles, casting it's eyes over your little group and barks three times.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

A small patch of grass rustles next to Ben's feet (just out of stomping range), followed by a shallow squeak.

Seeing that he couldn't catch the attention of his comrade from down that low, the source of the squeak rose up from the small patch, growing up, up, up, back into Tyler.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." he panted, from the effort of using his ability, "But...where are the others? And is that sound what I think it is? Are the dogs back?"

[Philote]

Nix dives for the dog as soon as it appears, too distracted to see the sudden reappearance of Tyler. Maybe his arms could hold the dog that could slip between space.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben scrambles to grab his cleaver and brandishes it nervously as Nix tackles the dog.

"AHHH! What do I do?! What do I do?!" He screams frantically.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Nix feel his arms wrap around the little white thing. Whatever it does to try and slip into your arms it doesn't work. Then it stops struggling and you feel your grip begin to slacken. You look down and see it's entire lower body melting away into a blade of grass.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"It was calling the others! We can't stay here! We're exposed! They'll KILL Us!" Ben cried, panic creeping into his voice.

[Philote]

Nix struggles to grab the dog's back legs but eventually gives up as the dog slides down into the grass. Throwing his arms up, Nix yells with frustration.

He stands back immediately and says to the group, almost yelling "We're leaving! I've had enough of these dogs!"

Without waiting he breaks off into a sprint in the direction furthest from the burning house.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben hesitates, glancing nervously between nix and the burning house. He didn't want to leave their friends, but they had little choice. It was too dangerous to wait for them and too dangerous to go in after them.

Ben sighed and sprinted off after Nix

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Too exhausted from his escape at two-inches tall, there was no way Tyler would be able to grow large enough to pull off a rescue for his other friends back in the building.

As sad as it was to think, he would have to leave them behind.

Best of luck to any who would escape safely.

(How many folks are still in the building?)

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

(Depends on who decides to joins back up in the future. Just assume anyone who never posts in the thread again to have died here.)

The three of you and your tag-along flee though the woods, the cracking of the inferno and braying of the hounds growing distant and softer until all that breaks the enveloping silence is your own rapid footfalls. But your flight also take you away from the only source of light other than the stars, and their gentle light does nothing to alleviate the darkness. You run blind.

[Philote]

Nix run and runs and stumbles and runs. Eventually he can not continue forward safely in the light available to him. The weight of the flashlight in his pocket only served to remind and annoy him that the light would only attract things ready to kill him.

The others had managed to keep up with him mostly. Their footsteps had never left his ears as he had been focusing on hearing the sounds of oncoming dogs.

Finally he stops and tries to get the group's attention. "I swear, if those dogs show up again then I'm just going to go find whatever it is that is snatching people and let them take me away" he says between huffs, being out of breath.

"What the heck do we do now. I'm not sleeping when those dogs could be anywhere." He doubted he could sleep anyways with his insomnia.