((EDIT: I. Completely. Forget. That I have a third character. Derp. I'll start using him in my next post.)) 

((This is so depressing ;o;)) 

(("He'd drink anything, other than nasty stuff." XDD))

((Lol same. My first post is always like 'Hey, she's not that bad!' and the rest are like 'Oh. Never mind.' XD))

 Krael opened his eyes. One glance around told him that this waking nightmare was a reality and not a figment of his imagination. He gritted his teeth in preparation to stand again. When he made it up once more, he was panting and shaking, and he didn't want to move anymore. But I need to find food and water. Mostly water, he decided. His throat was parched. He desperately wanted cold, fresh water. Unlikely, he thought, glancing around at the dusty, barren wasteland.

Krael, shielding his eyes with one hand, looked upwards. The sky had turned from its usual blue to a bright red. It wasn't a soft, sunset red either. The colour was actually a lot closer to that of the blood that stained Krael's shirt. The sun's hot rays beat down on him. He sighed, mentally preparing a checklist of things that needed to be done.

1. Stay alive. Check, I guess. For now.

2. Find water. Nope.

3. Food? No. 

4. Shelter? Not yet. 

5. Find other survivors. I wish. 

Well, great. That's a start. He brought a hand up to his temple and rubbed it. Moving around had made his headache worse. 

 Krael gritted his teeth and limped over to what was once the wall of a building. It stood about four feet at its highest point. Good enough, he thought, and sat down with his back leaning against it. He gasped in pain at the sudden movement, closing his eyes and willing the feeling to pass.

Okay, let's review. I've made some progress.

1. Stay alive. Still check.

2. Find water. Not yet, I'll get to it next.

3. Food. No, after water. 

3. Shelter? Yeah, I'd say so. It's shady, at least. 

5. Find other survivors. No, it's not important. I'll do it later. 

Krael sighed. He had so much to do, he might have to walk for miles, yet he had so little strength. He leaned his head back until it was resting against the wall. Even that slight impact to his head caused pain to course through his body, relentless as waves crashing down upon a beach. Blood was still pouring from the wound in his leg. I should add that to the list, he thought.

~~~   

Svali jolted awake at the sound of another human voice. Instantly she sat up, despite her screaming muscles, and groped around for a weapon, any weapon. She felt her fingers brush over a rock and she grasped it, ready to use it in any way she could. Then, Svali took a moment for the girl's words to sink in. "I'm Lana, who are you? Ae we the only ones?" 

Svali laughed humourlessly to herself. It was just some girl, like her, who had survived the explosion. She couldn't help but wonder what she had been expecting. A monster? Some demon?

Attempting to get up, but then thinking better of it and remaining on the ground, Svali said "I'm Svali. It's good... to hear someone else's voice. To know I'm not completely alone," she spoke softly, as if she hadn't used her voice in months. It's only been a day at most, she thought. Probably less. 

((OMG where ish everyone elshe? O_O"))
((Hehe, Seth amuses me. He kicks total butt. xD))

"Hello," Lana replied meekly. Her breath was shallow and weak. She had lost a lot of blood, and was about to drift into unconciousness again. She couldn't believe that she was still alive. Blinking, she didn't try to move, even if she wanted to. Her voice was hoarse and quiet, barely noticeable. She needed water, and she needed to stop the bleeding. Her breathing quickened as she tried to intake as much air as possible, dust clogging her lungs and making her cough a lot. She decided that if she managed to stop the bleeding and get a drink, she would die of suffocation.

 ---

Seth coughed and hacked, blinking, desperately rubbing his eyes, dirt clouding his vision. he was going to die of suffocation because his lungs were going to be clogged by dust and dirt. Pleasant. That's just great. A wonderful way to end the day after finding out that you were one of the only people to live, but it turns out you never even had a chance. Hooray! That's just peachy. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

((Synesthesia (sp?) is cool o.o))  

Krael was still sitting with his back against the wall. He went to move a bit, placing his hands on the ground to steady himself, when he felt something cold under his hand. Quickly, he moved to see what it was. To Krael's surprise, a short, razor sharp piece of metal lay on the ground. Great, a weapon. It's the one thing I don't need and I find it. All the same, he carefully picked it up and gently ran a finger along the edge to see if it was still sharp. It was. I suppose... This may be of use to me later. Unsure of what to do with it at the moment, Krael replaced it back on the ground. Trying to get a little more comfortable, Krael stretched his legs out in front of him, then hissed when pain went shooting up his left leg. My leg, right. Need to take care of it before it gets worse. he thought. Krael took off his shirt and wrapped it around the wound as tightly as he could. That's good... I think. Pressure's good for stopping blood flow, right? Satisfied with his work for now, he closed his eyes and lay back against the wall. Any minute now, he decided, I'll go find water.

~~~

 Damien was sitting among the rubble that was once his house. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and was looking around, wide eyed and terrified. How? he kept thinking. How did this happen? Why me? His entire body ached, but he wasn't actually injured that badly, though had many cuts. Damien shut his eyes tightly, hoping this was just a terrible nightmare. Opening them again a few seconds later, he found that it was not. No, he thought. Damien felt his breathing quicken, he started to panic. What's going to happen now? Am I the only one left alive? I'm going to die. Alone. Nobody will miss me because they're all dead! No, this can't happen!

Damien felt himself sway, then everything went black and he slumped over, unconscious.  

~~~

"Hey," Svali said. She looked around, trying to figure out where the girl- Lana?- was. The thick cloud of dust, however, prevented her from seeing more than a few feet in any direction. Svali coughed weakly. "Do... you think you can walk? We'll die-" the word alone caused her to shudder "-if we don't do something. I don't know about you, but I need water. Soon," she said.

((Fail)) 

((Sorry about not posting. I couldn't get on yesterday. :3))

Lana glanced at Svali. Her breath was ragged and short, and Lana knew that she had lost a lot of blood from her many wounds. "I think we need to find out a way to stop the bleeding first." Lana was wearing a sweatshirt, so she took that off, wincing and stuttering from the pain. Her sore muscles shrieked in protest, but she wadded it up and pressed it firmly, but gently, against her bloody back. Her lip was dry, chapped, and bleeding, but it was the wound that mattered the least. Her arm was scarred and battered and was bleeding as well, and her ankle had been sprained. At least her ankle wasn't bleeding!

---

Seth stumbled around blindly, his head wound throbbing from the pain. It had eventually gone numb, which was bad, but at least it didn't hurt as much as before, when the wound was still fresh. He tripped and banged his head, and a spurt of blood stained Seth's shirt as he held it against his head.

((Dodo: xD I just learned about it from the show Heroes XD)) 

((Sugar:  It's fine, I haven't been on much either. I actually feel kinda bad 'cause I'm barely posting on most rps. Even when I do get on, I never know what to write. Dx))

Svali agreed with Lana, and went to do the same, then realized she didn't have a sweater to spare. Oh well, she thought and, with some difficulty, ripped the sleeves off her shirt. She began dabbing at a few of her wounds to stem the flow of blood.

"Do you think we're the only ones?" Svali asked Lana suddenly. "I mean, that's not possible, is it? To be the only two people left alive? There has to be some else, right?"

A pang of sadness hit Svali. If anyone else did manage to survive, I just hope it was Krael, she thought. "It's just," she said, looking in the general direction Lana's voice had come from, "I've got a brother, and... he can be a bit of a jerk, but... I miss him."

~~~

Why does my pain threshold have to be so low, Krael thought miserably, waves of agony still shooting through him every time he moved. He was dizzy from blood loss and nauseous because, well, he didn't actually know why he was nauseous. The gash on his leg seemed to have stopped bleeding, but that was about the only positive thing that had happened to him all day.

For the first time in years, Krael felt like he was going to cry. He was so confused and angry and just plain sad. 

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to get up and try to find water, Krael stood up. He turned around, looking at the spot where his bare back had been resting against the wall. It was covered in blood, as was the dusty ground below. Gritting his teeth, Krael turned around to face forward. He took one uncertain step forward with his injured leg to see if it would still bear his weight. It hurt a lot, but he figured he'd be able to walk, albeit with a heavy limp. Good. Okay, he thought. Now it's time to find some water.

Krael was about to continue walking when he remembered the dagger blade. It's not like I'll really need it, but... why not. He stooped down, and careful not to slice his fingers in the process, picked it up. Unsure of what else to do with it, he grasped the duller end carefully in his left hand. Now it's time for water, he thought, grinning despite himself and staggering off.

~~~

Slowly, Damien woke up and glanced around. He was still huddled in a corner, knees tucked up to his chest.

...Why? Was all he could manage to think. Shakily, he stood up and began stumbling around aimlessly. "Hello?" he said quietly, not expecting an answer. Then, deciding it couldn't hurt, he screamed "Hello!?" No response. 

Damien stood up and walked out from amongst the rubble. At the top of his lungs, he screamed "HELLO!? IS ANYBODY THERE!?"

He waited hopefully for a few moments, but there was still no response. Maybe... maybe I really am the only one left, he thought. 

"I... I don't think my brother survived... He was so funny and joking. I really miss him. I hope he's not dead..." Lana blinked back tears and sobs racked her body. The pain made her stop as white-hot agony ripped through her body, and she quieted down quickly, her face wet and damp.

---

Seth heard a distant voice, but he decided he was just imagining things. After all, he did hit his head about three times, right? Getting up, he tripped and fell to his feet again. Well, that makes four times.

((Haha, he can meet up with Seth. xD))

((Vegetabletarian Invasion!!! 8D My friend always calls me a vegetabletarian instead of a vegetarian. o3o))

Seth let out a slow breath, his eyes foggy and his vision messed up. He swore he could see stars dancing around the edges of his vision. Since he had just hit his head about two times in a row, he thought that hallucination definitely was the problem when he thought he heard a voice in the distance.
'Oh great!' Seth thought angrily. 'Now I'm hallucinating. What next? Is the sky going to fall? Am I going to have to go and ring a stupid freaking bell just like Chicken Little? Are giant celery stalks going to invade this pathetic excuse for a planet? The situation I'm in is just peachy. I doubt it could get much worse than this.'
Seth glanced around, his thoughts a little slurred in an almost drunken way, his head throbbing with so much pain it disrupted his train of thought. 'Whenever people say that or think that in movies and crap, something worse usually happens. I guess it's not actually true. Well, that's a relief. But I guess it really couldn't get any worse. The world just ended. Like I wanted that to happen It's not like I'm going, "Oh, the world just ended! Time to cross that off my bucket list." I mean, seriously. What the crap happened?'
Seth was just getting a huge rant cooked up in his head when he realized the voice was real. A person was coming closer, and Seth's eyes widened with shock.

---

Lana glanced at Svali, but her ex
pression was still depressed and pessimistic. No amount of optimism could cheer Lana up, not when her brother was almost certainly dead.

((Lol. My friend calls me 'that girl that doesn't eat stuff with a face.')) 

Krael was determined to get to the (Don't think of it as a body, he's still alive, just in shock) figure on the ground. Please let him (or is it a girl?) be alive, don't let me be the only one, please.

He walked purposefully, and as quickly as his injuries would allow. Instead of becoming accustomed to the constant, throbbing pain as he had hoped, it only got worse with each step he took. Every time Krael moved, lightning pain would shoot through his body. Body. Just my body. Mind over matter.

"Hello?" Krael called out, louder this time. Give me a sign. Give me a sign you're alive.

"Can you hear me?"

Krael kept walking, only stopping when the pain forced him to. Which was frequently. Slowly, though, step by painful step, Krael was making progress. He was getting closer to the- (not a body, not a body). 

He was getting closer. Just one more step. Good, now another. You're close now, don't give up. 

~~~

No. I refuse to accept that I'm the only one left, Damien decided. There are others and I will find them.

Damien stood up, his whole body sore and achy. I'm not even hurt that badly. If I survived with so few injuries- pain suddenly surged through him, as if to contradict what he was thinking- then surely there are others.

He exited the pile of rubble that had once been his house, heading towards the remains of his neighbour's house. Yes, his neighbours had had a son, maybe he was still alive. Maybe they all were. Feeling ridiculous but doing it anyway, Damien bent down to knock on the broken, splintered door on the ground. "Hello?" he called uncertainly.

Silence.

"Is anybody there?"

Continued silence. Damien sighed. He carefully stepped over piles of rubble to go further into the wreckage. Or, not so carefully, as he soon tripped and landed face first on the ground. Looking back to try and see what he had tripped over, he found a wooden baseball bat on the ground. I might need it, but I can't just take it, can-

Oh. Looking closer, he could see a small, limp hand peeking out from beneath a pile of rubble.    

Damien shut his eyes, trying not to retch. He... I guess he won't mind if I take the bat after all.

He stooped down and picked up the baseball bat, then stumbled away from the rubble and threw up the contents of his stomach. 

~~~

Svali squinted through the dust, but she still couldn't see anything. Ignoring the pain as well as she could, she stood up and began to stumble in the direction that Lana's voice had come from. 

"Need water," she mumbled as she made her way over.  

"I need a doctor," Lana replied dryly. Her shimmering eyes were full of pain and terror, thinly veiled by calm acceptance. She was trying to be as calm as possible, but inside, she was panicking and was absolutely terrfied. Gasping, her throat was parched and thirsty and she wanted to have a drink more than anything else in the world. Scratch that. She wanted her brother more than anything else int he world. She missed Seth a lot. She wanted him back.

---

Seth let out a slow breath. He glanced up at the stranger. "Why, hello there. I don't suppose you have any water on you, mate?" His rough, Australian accent was almost nonexistent becuase his throat was so dusty and dry.

((OMG Australian accent <3))

"Yeah, I know." Svali said, a little harshly. She looked down at Lana and both her ex
pression and her tone softened when she spoke next. "Is it bad? Like, really bad?" she asked. What Svali could see of Lana's wounds looked pretty severe. There was blood all around her.

What if she... dies?

~~~

Krael laughed drily, which caused pain to shoot through him. He winced.

"No, sorry," he said. "I was trying to go find some when I saw you."

Krael reached out a hand, intending to help the stranger up, but only ended up falling himself. He landed on his bad leg, causing him to cry out from the pain. He tried to smile, but it looked more like a pained grimace. "Name's Krael," he said. 

Dammit, he thought. I must look so weak. 

((xDDD Yeah I forgot to put that in his bio. <3))

Lana grimaced, her eyes in pain. "I... I'm not sure. I think it is. My back won't stop bleeding. Part of the skin was ripped away in this big wind blast thing that carried me away all the way over here. It was after the flare. I think it was some sort of aftermath thing. I don't know..."

---

"Well, I wish my name was something awesome and heroic like Maximillion, but it's not. It's actually Seth. Nice to meet you, mate. Well, looks like we're both in a little bit of a pickle, huh?" Seth's voice was cheerful as ever, but his eyes were in total pain, thinly veiled by shock.

Svali frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're in pain, and I am too, but we need to go get water, and food too."

((/Fail))

~~~

Krael was still kneeling on the ground, having fallen. He moved so he was sitting down. "Nice to meet you, Seth." he said. "I only wish it was under better circumstances."

I sound like an idiot. He thought. Actually, I sound like Sva-

Wait. Svali. How could he have forgotten about her? Was she alive?

"Have you seen anyone else? Any survivors?" he said. As he spoke, Krael eyed the wound on Seth's head. Ow, he thought.

~~~

Damien spat, trying to clear the taste of bile from his mouth. He straightened up and looked around. I don't know what to do, he realized.