Play Your Cards

Heartland

Down the old concrete road they walk, the road leading to a small self sufficient town.

Addy talks to 10k about online videos, Warren strolls along with a smile, and Ace drags on with a slight frown on her face. She drags her bat on the ground, slowly strolling behind them. Her eyes squint in the blinding sunlight as she looks to the town.

"These fields need to be harvested. They're going to seed." Ace points out as she looks over the field of crops on the side of the road.

"A friend of mine helped me move a group of Talkers from here to Limbo. But I don't know how many live humans are left to work the field." Addy says

"Something about this doesn't seem right. Let's head into the town." Ace says, wasting no time to keep moving.

They walk into a town called Heartland with Ace leading the way. Trash litters the streets, giving the town an empty feel to it. Buildings have their windows boarded up, others with their windows smashed in. A broken fire hydrant sits dry of water with a car crashed into the side of it.

10k watch's Ace wearily as she eyes the town. He wonders what she is thinking, she hasn't been the same ever since the black rainbow. Every one of her steps have been with fear and caution, unlike how they used to be. She would always walk with confidence and power, now she moves like a scared rabbit, quiet and cautious.

"What's the plan?" Addy asks Warren

Warren looks to Ace for guidance but she doesn't return her gaze. Instead, she goes off her own way with a slight jog.

"Make contact with the locals and see what we find out about what's in these bizkits." Warren says. "10k, follow her, keep her safe."

10k goes after her, watching as she makes her way around the town. She nudges some dead bodies with her bat, making sure they're dead. They've all been mercied by the looks of it.

Warren, Addy and 10k all follow her. She suddenly picks up her head and looks around.

"Does anyone hear that?" She asks lowly

A ghostly whisper fills their ears, echoing around the empty town.

Ace looks back to her followers, giving them a stern look that they know. She leads the way, pulling out one of her pistols resting on her hip. She makes her way through some loading trucks that sit vacant in a overgrown lot by the entrance of the town.

The whispering slowly grows louder the deeper they are in the lot. Ace feels eyes watching her from every angle.

"Feed us." The voices whisper.

Ace freezes in her spot as she feels a presence behind her back.

"Feed me." They whisper.

She feels their warm breath on the back of her neck, tickling the hairs and bringing a chill to her skin.

She swallows the lump forming in her throat and moves forward, not daring to turn around. She spots 10k through a car window and he catches her gaze. They both meet behind a truck and Addy and Warren come into view. They all gather together, huddling.

"10k, heads up." Addy says

"I see him." 10k replies, readying his gun.

"Don't shoot, it's a talker." Addy puts a hand on his shoulder, pulling his gun away from it

"Are you sure? He looks pretty bad." 10k pulls his gun back up

"She's right. If he's still talking, he might know something." Warren says. "Follow my lead."