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"This... is definately not good..." Kenji muttered as he gazed upon the blood smeared along the outer wall. "The whole city seems dead... did they wipe everyone else out? No... no! I can't think like that! If there is anyone left I must help them, together we can hopefully reach safety outside this accursed city..." The words had barely left Kenji's lips before a wave of dread washed over him. What if he WAS the last man alive in the city... or the entire planet? It would be hard to keep his mind off such things, but if noting else Kenji had learned to focus and be patient. He took a deep breath and headed into the park. A large tattered and bloodstained banner reading "Rustone would like to wish everyone a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" in black and orange letters was torn down and stretched all the way into the road. Not the best sign, but better than seeing a mound of corpses piled near the entrance.
The park was actually a pretty good place to hide for it was quite wide and open, but with several excellent places to hide. As he walked along on the path leading to the fountain in the center of the park Kenji almost forgot that he had just narrowly escaped a zombiefied casino. The warm sunlight, fresh air, and lush green surroundings certainly helped take the edge off, but it almost made Kenji nervious with its desolate emptiness. Several barbecues and picnic areas were completely abandoned, save for the occasional mangled corpse or lucky animal that had so far managed to escape death at the hands of the terrors walking through the rest of the city. "This place looks almost untouched..." Kenji said to himself as he looked over the isolated bits of carnage. "Guess most of the people here were able to get away in time... thankfully..."
It wasn't much, but the signs that suggested at least some people got away kept Kenji's spirit up... until he made it to the fountain. Paradise park had always been beautiful, but its crown jewel was definately its large wishing fountain in the center square. Three elegant stone mermaids were captured in a scene of playful frolicing with various forms of sea life as streams of water twirled around them. It was a sharp contrast to the brutal display under it. Shimmering crimson water filled the base of the fountain, obscuring the many coins carelessly tossed into it by carefree children and their parents. Propped up along its outer sides were a little over a dozen body bags, some closed tight, some ripped open, and some much smaller than the rest. A few other corpses were simply covered in blankets and sheets, but all had flowers and various other offerings placed near them. A football helmet, a pair of sunglasses, a family photo... a teddy bear...
Kenji simply stared in silence at the gruesome memorial. These people who had moved on had no time to bury their dead... this was the best they had been able to do. Kenji covered his his mouth as he felt tears begining to well up in his eyes. He knew things had gotten bad, but had hoped he wouldn't find something like this. The smell from the decaying bodies stung his nose, but he found he couldn't turn away. Finally, his eyes fell upon a message spray-painted on the side of a clear space:
Marvin Briggs
Kyle Doyle
Sarah Doyle
Mike Doyle
Desmond McGuiness
Leroy Young
Fred Young
Vee Grooms
Ted Clarke
Elizabeth Clarke
Ed Taylor
Ed Taylor Jr
Lenny Regan
Samuel "Brick" Rhodes
Kinzie "Phonex" Usher
Dan Gray
Fran Wellington
Stacy Wellington
Jan Wellington
Ellen Frost
May all these lost souls find peace.
If anyone comes across their final resting place we have moved on towards the northern edge of the city. When we have enough people we plan to escape to Vegas. We have left some emergency supplies in the chest near the parks restrooms, which are located up the hill from this location. May god help us all.
Kenji took a moment to re-read the message and bowed his head in a moment of silence for those lost. Afterwards he took a brief moment to rest and pay his respects to the people who had died here. He wasn't sure if there was anything worth finding at the restrooms, but it wasn't too far from here... and he certainly had plenty of time... not a single zombie in sight...
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