Jacob Starling

[Rifter]

"Kyo's different from hunters. He wouldn't hurt anyone... Unless they intended to harm him. Or me for that matter."

Startled by Kyo's sudden motion, he heard the sobbing, "Shit. A Witch." He whispered.

[Jak]

Kyo shook his hood off and pressed his ear to the door, trying to guess where the Witch was going by how far the cries were. He backed away from the door and motioned for silence. The crying was rights outside the door. Kyo saw the new prey was frightened. He carefully crawled towards a pillow and grabbed it. He went to the new prey and gave it to it. He mimed pulling the pillow to his face. Kathrine somehow understood what he was trying to explain. With the pillow to her face any sound that escaped her would be muffled. She held the pillow close, just as Kyo had mimed.

[Rifter]

Jacob looked at Kyo, unsure of what to do, with nary a whisper, he drew the machete from the sheath on his belt. He hadn't encountered a Witch before.

[Jak]

Kyo emphatically signaled 'no'.

With nothing left to them, Kyo signaled 'quiet' and 'wait' over and over. He went to the door and in one quick motion forced it open with the loudest screech he could muster, startling the Witch. He slashed at it to make sure it focused on him and ran away, leading the Witch away.

[Rifter]

Looking over at Katherine, "We'll stay here. Kyo's smart. But we'll make it easy for him to come back and find us." Tiptoeing over to the door, he gently closed it.

[Jak]

They waited for a while, no sign of Kyo. It seemed like hours before they heard growling at the door and a very out of breath "meee... K-yo... ouch..." Kathrine looked through the door and quickly opened it for Kyo. He simply fell forward.

His left arm was half shredded, most of his hoodie had been sliced away though thankfully it was mostly nicks on his body. Kathrine helped Kyo pull himself in and closed the door. Then she saw why he fell. He wasn't just out of breath, his right kneecap was dislocated.

Kathrine looked around the apartment and said "can you help him with his knee? I can tend to his arm"

[Rifter]

"Done deal." Jacob quickly took off his backpack and coat, bundling up his coat and placed it under Kyo's head once he was on his back.

Digging in his pack, he pulled out a first-aid kit. Opening it, "Take whatever is needed."

Producing a small pocketknife, he sliced away a square of Kyo's pants, revealing the swollen knee, "Shit." He whispered.

Looking up at Kyo, "Kyo. This is going to hurt. Kathrine, can you try to hold him down?"

[Jak]

Kathrine went to the Hunter. Rather than hold him down she, albeit hesitantly, took his hands in once hand and stroked his hair soothingly with the other. She spared a glance at the first-aid kit, noting what was there and what she would need. She smiled down at the hunter and said "it's alright. You're okay. Just keep looking at me, okay? I think I heard Jacob call you 'Kyo', is that your name?" She continued this, trying to distract Kyo

[Rifter]

The corner of Jacob's mouth twitched. Distraction, of course.

Placing a hand on Kyo's knee, the other under, he suddenly pressed down on the knee and continued to apply pressure until it popped back into place.

[Jak]

Kyo clenched his teeth, tears welling in his eyes. Kathrine wiped the tears away and said "see? It's over. You're alright. Let's get your arm seen to, okay?" She sat Kyo up and tore away what scrap of clothe was left of his sleeve. Kathrine took out a bottle of alcohol and poured some on her hands. "This is going to sting a bit. Ready?" Kyo closed his eyes tightly and nodded slowly. She poured the alcohol slowly, cleaning the injury. Kathrine took out a roll of gauze from her pocket and began gingerly wrapping Kyo's arm.

As Kathrine wrapped Kyo's arm she asked "do you know anything about that tattoo on his neck?"

[Rifter]

"None." Jacob was binding Kyo's knee with some gauze.

[Jak]

Kathrine smiled at Kyo and asked "can you tell us?" Kyo thought, but the only way he knew to explain it was "Keh-dah"

As Kathrine finished she asked "'Keh-dah'? What does that mean?"

[Rifter]

Jacob sighed, "I was afraid of that. CEDA." He translated. He gestured at the papers on the walls, "CEDA experimented on zombies and people. As to why, your guess is as good as mine."

[Jak]

Since Kathrine had finished with Kyo's arm she decided to have a look at the papers. She read aloud

Subject #17

Name: Unknown:
Age: 14
Sex: Male

Doctors found a boy on the street. We have returned him to good health and, God forgive us, we have infected him. It took a few months, but he finally turned. From his pitiful cries at night we assume the transformation is more painful the longer it takes.

Name: Unknown
Age: 16
Sex: Male
Strain of infection: Hunter

We have studied his behavior and made a discovery: Hunters seek out warmth. This is why they dig into their victims. Other tests have not given results.

Name: Unknown
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Strain of virus: Hunter

So far none of our serums have had any effect on the subject, though it seems he is the only infected of twenty others to survive. Where before he would avoid doctors, he now actively attacks anyone who tries to remove the bodies. Is he

The page stopped abruptly.

[Rifter]

"Well..." Jacob stood up and dusted off his hands, "If that doesn't seem macabre, then I don't know what would..."

[Jak]

"Kyo... was this... you?" Kathrine asked as she turned to face him. Kyo shuddered. The only thing he remembered was the tattoo and injections.

[Rifter]

Jacob walked over to Kyo and put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Kyo. It's all over. Those people can't hurt you anymore."

[Jak]

Kyo sighed and nodded. Kathrine went to Kyo and said "Keh-dah is all but gone from what I've seen."

[Rifter]

"Kathrine? Still got that sweet bread I gave you?"

[Jak]

"Yes. Why?"

[Rifter]

"Give it to him, one, he'll definitely warm up to you and it'll calm him down." Jacob smiled.

[Jak]

Kathrine gave the sweet bread to Kyo. He seemed grateful as he ate it, a small smile on his face. Kathrine couldn't help but stroke his head. Even though he was older than her he was like a little brother. "What monster would purposely infect such a sweet little boy..."

[Rifter]

"That. I don't know." Jacob sighed as he leaned against the wall, exhaustion slowly creeping into him.

[Jak]

Kathrine smiled warmly at the tired boys. She helped Kyo up as he yawned sleepily. Placing Kyo on Jacob's left she sat on the other side and said "this is a safe room, right? We should rest here and stay close. Plus, if we keep Kyo warm he'll trust us more, right?"

[Rifter]

"Right." Jacob said dozily.

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