Thomas

The gas station was desolate. Blackened from the ash which covered it, abandoned cars sitting all around the vacant lot, and the smell of smoke an omnipresent feature to behold. A corpse lay upon the ground, burned beyond recognition, it's flesh charred to the bone. A hand covered his face as he looked away, a tear beginning to grow in his eye.

The building's very concrete foundations had cracks within them, every window was shattered, and already nature began to regain what what once theirs. Grasses and weeds grew from the cracks in the ground, and ivy already was taking root in the walls. The was no sound, aside from the wind blows causing the trees to rustle. It was an eerie sight, which welcomed Thomas in with open arms.

He wasn't entirely sure what he might find, but he was hoping for anything edible at this point. Running out of food was an issue he encounter earlier in the morning, with him reaching the last of his rations. It was a sobering thought, the potential to die of starvation after making it so far. He wouldn't allow that.

With a grimace and high hopes, he stepped in gingerly looking for anything worth while. The isles were empty with mostly thrown about garbage and burned trash. The air was dusty and hard to take in, but what caught his attention was a peculiar man who was crouched over in the chip and candies isle.

Another person? His first encounter since the Ring of Fire began... He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. All he could do was stare, until a second man stepped from a back room and immediately noticed him.

Thomas seemed to get out of his stupor immediately, though he internally face palmed at his next action.

"Uhhh... Hi...?", he said awkwardly, as if unsure how to behave in this given scenario.

The first man, who entered from the back room was short and stocky with bright ashen blonde hair and brown eyes. His features were rather forgettable aside from his broken nose, an obvious sign of getting into one to many fights in his day.

The other was a skinny man, with swept back salt and pepper hair. He wore bifocals, and seemed to be rather well learned and amused by Thomas's awkwardness.

"Hello there", the spectacled man said with a soft smile.

The blonde man stood silent as he observed the interaction, he seemed like nothing more than a guardian to the older man.

The spectacles man continued, "Don't be afraid, there is plenty to go around".

Thomas merely nodded, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"Oh! Where are my manners? Joseph Anderson, at your service", the spectacles man, now named Joseph said as he offered his hand to shake. Thomas eyes it warily, before slowly taking it.

"Thomas", was all he replied with as he slowly approached to begin gathering prepackaged goods. He wasn't being picky with what he grabbed, so long as he knew it would last.

"Don't mind Cole over there, we are really doing a run for our folks back home", Joseph said matter of factly. Thomas nodded slowly, not really speaking much. Joesph continued. "It's not often we meet another. You have been blessed! Blessed I say!... If the Lord offered you a chance at survival then you like us are here for a reason!... Are you a Chosen?...", his ranting continued for a few moments confusing Thomas. He offered the blonde, now known as Cole and puzzled look.

"... You should come with us!", Joseph said breaking Thomas from his confusion.

"Me? Go with you?... Where?", Thomas asked suddenly breaking his one sided conversation with the rambling old man.

"Why, to meet the Father! If you stand before us as one of the living you must be one of the Chosen. You have to come with us, it's our job to reclaim the Earth!", Joseph ranted his voice growing more fanatical as he goes. Thomas raised his hands slowly to defend himself as he backed away, but Cole blocked the doors. Swearing to himself, it's either he agreed and see what happened or disagree... He wasn't sure what would come of that, but he didn't wish to gallivant with some crazies.

"No...", was all he offered softly as he grew nervous. Joseph lost his smile as he began to frown.

"Then you are a lost soul, who is meant to be purged...", he uttered madly. The older man's hand seemed to settle upon something on his hip, which Thomas immediately recognized as a gun holster. His eyes grew wide, as he in a panic shoved Joseph down, running towards one of the shattered windows before leaping towards the outside.

Broken glass was embedded into his hands, but he cared nothing for the pain. The two men immediately began to pursue him as he ran back towards the highway. The chase was on.

[Ain't much, but its honest work and keeps Thomas busy running from Crazy Cultists. Expect a fight later, and I apologize for grammar errors, it's late].

Arya

She looked back to Killian with a gleam in her eyes, "We don't know whether or not he is dangerous unless we get to know him!", she said back to her more lively and positive tone.

She smiled brightly at Killian, happy the stranger was offered an opportunity to join them. She looked at the strange man for a while longer, before her attention fully turned to Killian.

"So, how was the morning? Normally your out and about hunting or scouting things out. See anything interesting while you were away?", she asked curiously.

Thomas

He'd never ran so fast in his life. His lungs burned, and his hands stung from the glass that pierced his palms. The two men still pursued him with intensity, though luckily the older man hadn't fired his pistol yet. That meant he still had some ground on then, which gave him a chance to get away. He could heard them shouting from behind him still, which worried him. They were rather close if that was the case. Thomas knew he could keep running all day, he was never much of a long distance runner to begin with, and having already pushed out nearly two miles made his body scream at him. He legs shook, and his muscles ached. Still he needed to push on, and so he did.

Coming upon major car accident was problematic. The entire roadway was blocked by knocked over semi-trucks, and smashed cars. If he went around it would give his pursuers more time to catch up. He would have to climb. Grabbing firmly to the siding of the truck, he pulled himself up. It took precisely half a minute to reach the top of the massive wreckage, and in that time the distant shouting ceased. Had he lost them, he pondered? He waited for what seemed like an eternity upon the wreckage, hoping the high ground could help him know if the men from the gas station still followed.

His question was answered by a ring of gunfire. The pain was immediate, as blood seeped from a hole near his left side. It merely skimmed him, but it was enough to make him shout out in pain. Pushing away from the top of the wreckage in panic, he tumbled off towards the ground, hitting it hard. It forced the wind from his lungs, as he wheezed for a moment trying to regain his senses.

"HOLY SHIT, I'M BEING SHOT AT... I'M GOING TO DIE... I NEED TO RUN, NOW!...", his mind practically screamed as a million thoughts a second graced his mind. Picking himself up off the ground, he began to run as fast as any injured man would, a hand over his wounds and the other looking madly for anything to defend himself with. Hobbling off the highway, he hurried off towards the forest, little did he know his bleeding had left a trail.

His pursuers followed even closer than before. They would purge this lost soul! It was there God given task to remake the Earth after it was destroyed. They would reclaim Earth one person at a time.

Thomas couldn't push it anymore. If he was going to die, he would die swinging... He nodded to himself resolutely. This might just be it. Finding a large stone, he took cover behind a tree, whose trunk was wide enough to offer him cover. His breathing was rapid, and sporadic. By God he was scared... He was trembling. Finally he could hear the shouts of the men as they entered the forest.

"Split up!", he heard them shout, "If he is hurt, he won't put up much of a fight". This is it, the moment he was sure everyone would face at least once in their new lifetimes in the Ring of Fire... It's time to Kill or be Killed.

Thomas

The silence was the worst part. The world grew quiet quickly after the demand was spoken, and all that was left was anticipation. The knowledge of what is to come. His heart was pounding, his entire body trembling. In his left hand was a large stone, a rather flat and blunted stone, his only form of defense. His life line.

His adrenaline was the only thing keeping him running, and it made him hypertext to the world around him. There was a rustle from the brush, and the crack of a broken sticks underfoot. Taking a small peek out from behind his hiding spot, the tree he deemed his sanctuary. The man before him was Joseph, the spectacled man. In his left hand was a revolver, his eyes wild, and his hair disheveled. His manic wild beliefs seemed to be the only thing keeping him standing from the chase.

Returning to his sanctuary, Thomas prayed silently to anyone who was willing to listen, to gift him the strength to push on after what he was about to do. The silence returned, aside from the faint footsteps which grew closer by the moment. Thomas could feel his body tense up with each crunch of fallen leaves being stepped upon. He could feel his heart beat pounding in his chest. He could feel the World as it slowly revolves, as if he and it were one. Everything grew still for a faint moment, as if nothing seemed to matter. For a faint moment, Thomas could of sworn that the World felt pure, and peaceful once more.

It immediately faded as Thomas turned back towards the approaching Soul Reaper, and with every ounce of force he could muster he leapt from his hiding spot, driving his fist into the older man's face.

The spectacles man stood stunned, to surprised and out of it to have any form of reaction. His gun dropped from his hand as he tried to regain his bearings. His glasses were shattered. He couldn't see. Fear. It was all he could feel, but then there was pain. His vision cleared, as he saw a man standing over him with a vicious look in his eyes. Yes... He saw now. His fear broke, and all he could do was look at the younger man with acceptance. He will now see his Lord, and be free from Hell. "You shall save me", was his final thought.

Thomas was swift as he went upon the man with his stone. He felt nothing, only the adrenaline pushing him forward in a primal rage to protect himself. To survive. This man and his companion tried to kill him... Over what? His refusal to meet some priest?... This bastard. He raised his stone above his head, and brought it down. The silence of the forest was broken with the crack of bone and a shrill blood curdling scream.

Thomas raised his stone again, and brought it down once more. And again, and again, and again... Over and Over till his attacker was nothing but a bloody paste of teeth here, an eye there, pieces of his skull there... It was over.

His hands shook as it finally washed over him. He just wished to curl up into himself, to-- His thoughts suddenly where cut off by the sound of someone running through the forest towards him. "Shit, I forgot about the other...", he mentally chastised. He fumbled across the bloody ground, his hands smothered in gore, looking for something. His hands finally resting upon his prize, as his gaze settled on the corpse before him. The other man would be here soon... Thomas in a haze stood idly, his ears were ringing. He was covered in blood and unsure whether or not it was his or Joseph's.

Could this have been avoided? Maybe? But it was beyond regret now... There will be time for that later. "Joseph Anderson... You weren't strong enough for this World. You may rest now", he said solemnly. There was a moment of understanding between the living and the dead. While he doubted this would have occurred if the Fires hadn't claimed the World, the acceptance within the man's eyes told him everything. The pain was over.

Breaking through the treeline the ashen blonde was met by a manic and utterly distraught Thomas, with his companions revolver in hand. Thomas strode forward, his eyes wild, his body trembling and bathed in blood. He spoke with a shake voice, "So, come to finish this?".

The blonde was to stunned to speak, before nodding weakly as is he himself was to terrified to react. He knew he ran to his death, once so confident and now certain of his fate. He fell to his knees, and immediately proceeded to beg for his life, with tears in his eyes.

Thomas was utterly dumbstruck as he spoke once more, this time with more nerve his anger obvious, "You... Dumbass! You dare ask for forgiveness after what you've done?!?".

The blonde finally spoke something understandable through his blubbering, "P-please! I was just following orders. Y-you know how h-hard it is now and d-days! P-PLEASE!", he begged with tears streaming down his face.

Thomas remained impassive, "Your friend, he spoke of some Holy and Greater Purpose? Was it worth it?", he asked.

The blonde only shook his head as he looked towards the ground, his begging having ceased but the tears still came. Thomas stepped forward, placing the barrel of the gun he took from Joseph upon the blonde's forehead.

"You are going to give me everything you took from the gas station, every weapon you carry is mine now, if I see you again I promise you, I will crush your skull just like your friend there", he said quietly as he motion towards the corpse of Joseph, whose skull was caved in to the point of beyond recognition. "Do I make myself clear, Blondie?", he asked.

There was no answer aside from a nod of the head. Thomas tsked, before getting in the man's face. "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!?".

"YES! YES, YOU DO!", the blonde man cried, immediately getting to it of stripping away his weapons, and riding himself of the supplied he looted from the gas station.

"Wonderful... Now, walk along, and don't let me see you again, or I might take your eye out to replace my old one", he said threateningly as he motioned towards his covered missing eye. The man nodded, before running off at a sprint.

Once he was far enough away to be out of viewing distance, Thomas fell to his knees, as everything that just occurred in the last half hour came into perspective. Looking at his hands, to blood which stained them... He vomited up his stomach contents, before breaking down into tears.

"What have I done?", he asked himself.