#we all do this in our spare time so that readers and lurkers can have fun in their spare time too

[gjdraws]

Hi! Not naming any names because what's the point but:

1. Please at least ask artists before sticking their (FREELY SHARED?) work into your own fics or social media

2. I understand that "Lots of people do it", and "Eh the artist doesn't know its on the internet who cares" is not something I can actively do anything about

3. BUT. Understand that this makes me feel like you, and the fandom at large views artists (includes all creators tbh) as: content machines, not people with feelings, and generally disposable

4. In light of WGA and SAG striking because of literally this attitude, understand that all you're doing is ensuring most fandom artists/writers/giffers go behind walled off gardens. It happened in the LJ days and it can happen again.

5. This includes feeding ai work for "fic endings", and "art in this style". People will just stop posting eventually. I remember the internet before artists shared anything, and maybe you will too, if things go on like this.

TL;DR don't be a dick, fandom is supposed to be a fun space where we make up stuff and talk to other people about it.

Don't make it so people walk away and there isn't anybody to talk to anymore.

[specialagentlokitty]

Martin evershed x reader - perfect

Yo you know I’m a freakin sucker for this concept. Lol yeah so once again I’m back with a secretly married request but this time for Martin Evershed. Maybe his SO is a teacher or someone working around the school. Well wherever you take it I’ll love it. - @sitkafay 💜

Humming under your breath, you were in one of the classrooms dragging all the furniture across the room, just piling it into a corner.

“I didn’t know you were paid to make a mess.” A voice laughed.

Smiling to yourself, you set the chair you were carrying down and turned around, hands on your hips as you looked at the man.

“There’s tape across the door for a reason Martin.”

“I thought that was just for the students.” He mused.

Rolling your eyes, you walked over to the other corner of the room and grabbed your tools, placing them in front of the window before walking back into the middle of the classroom.

Martin smiled as he listened to the music playing softly through the speaker.

“You asked me to redecorate, it’s to stop everyone. And one of the windows need resealing, so I’m doing that to.”

“I’m not paying you extra for that am I?”

“Martin we share money quit your complaining.” You laughed.

He chuckled and walked over, placing his hands on your waist as he held you closely and you hummed, resting your forehead on his chest.

Your hands were on his shoulders as he gently started to dance around the room with you.

“Someone could walk in…” you whispered.

“That’s what the tapes for.” He mused.

“Didn’t stop you.” You smirked.

He rolled his eyes, stopping his dancing, he placed a finger under your chin and tilted your head up to look at him, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“I don’t need anything to stop me from seeing my wife…” he whispered.

“You do if you want to keep this hidden Mr Evershed.” You hummed slightly.

You put your hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down, kissing the corner of his mouth before you pulled away with a grin and went back to what you were doing.

Kneeling down, you started to set everything out and he crouched next to you, picking up some of the tools you had laid out only for you to take them back and put them back down.

This went on for a few minutes before you bumped your shoulder into him, knocking him to the ground while he huffed a little.

“Don’t you have a school to run mister?” You asked.

“I am, it’s my job to ensure maintenance goes as planned.”

“Martin I literally fixed the front door the other day, go away you lurker.”

He chuckled and crossed his legs, shaking his head at you.

“I like watching you work.”

“You’re a creep.”

“You’re my wife it’s not creepy! Stop being mean.” He pouted.

You snickered a little and stood up, going to the other side of the room only to groan in annoyance when you realised you were missing some stuff.

Martin looked up at the sound and you turned around to see him smirking a little.

“I need your keys.”

“Don’t have em.” He replied.

“Okay are they in your jacket?”

“Maybe.”

“Martin Evershed!”

Before you could scold him, there was a knock on the door and it was pushed open to reveal a student looking a bit unsure.

“Uhm.. sorry.. could you possibly fix one of the lights in our class? It blew up.”

“Sure Johnny, what room?”

He told you the room number and you followed him out, Martin following behind you.

“Come on, I’ll show you where you can find the spares.” You smiled.

“Thanks Miss, why’s Mr Evershed lurking?” He laughed.

“Cause apparently the headteacher has nothing better to do.” You snickered.

“Right I’ll remember that when I go home later.”

“No please my cars broken you said you’d take me home!” You pouted.

He was already walking down the hallways.

“Come on Mr Evershed don’t be mean!” You called.

He said nothing but you knew he was smirking and you rolled your eyes, taking Johnny to the store room as you propped the door open looking around.

Johnny did his own exploring, curious about what’s was in the room exactly.

“Ah here we go. Here, hold this.”

You gave the student the box and grabbed the ladder and you both made your way towards the classroom.

It only took a few minutes to change the light, and you were carrying the ladders back with you to the sealed off classroom.

Slipping in, you found Martin sitting in the floor again, two hot cups next to him and plate full of biscuits.

Setting the ladders up against the wall you walked over and sat next to him.

“Have a break then I’ll give you the keys, deal?”

“Deal.” You smiled.

Resting your head on his shoulder, you let him take your hand in his and pressed a kiss to the back of your knuckles as you both enjoyed the sound of the music softly playing through the room.

After a short break, you got up and grabbed the keys from him, leaning down you gave him a quick kiss before leaving.

It didn’t take long to grab everything you needed and you made your way back into the room, setting his keys down with the cups now in the corner of the room, you rolled up your sleeves and started to get to work.

First you got to work on the window.

“Can you pass me that tube?” You asked.

“Of course, here.”

Martin brought it over and watched as you concentrated on what you were doing.

He couldn’t help smile as he watched you.

The way the sun bounced through the glass and reflected against your face, the way you curled your lip slightly as you concentrated. It was all so perfect to him.

Once you were done, you sat on the windowsill and he stood in front of you, hands on your hips as you rested your arms on his shoulders.

“Consider me you’re little helper.” He smiled.

“Sounds perfect.”

You two shared a soft kiss before he helped you down and you guys got to work on the next thing you had to do.

Both of you loved this, it wasn’t often you saw each other at work since you were usually all over the place, and Martin absolutely loved helping you with projects because he knew how passionate you were about doing them.

Within the four walks of that classroom, you were just headteacher and maintenance manager, you were husband and wife working together as a team and enjoying each others company away from prying eyes.

It was perfect

[flyingcatstiel]

@impostoradult answered to my previous comments here. This is a huge discussion and fandom is barely starting it. Emotions run high because there’s sense of dread and helplessness, so, no, not all arguments are very rational but the thing is. The thing is we are talking about fandom space. Hobby space. Place where we are supposed to create and relax, and interact with other fans. Connections are supposed to be between humans. I want to know which blorbo lives rent free in my mutual’s head because I care about my mutual, not which blorbo is being squeezed through AI algorithm. 

Fandom is barely coming out of creators/consumers debate debacle. I’d say that lots of fans are still struggling with the idea that monetizing your hobby is bad for you and the hobby (and posting money links on AO3 is against their ToS). And now we are facing possibility where one person’s hobby will have to compete with AI product based on all fanworks combined.

Here’s some points from @impostoradult’s comment I wanted to answer directly. 

And so, to address some of your other points in more depth - if someone writing fic doesn't have an original take (and isn't even necessarily trying to have an original take) we still don't consider that a problem in fandom.

The reason why fans have no problem with repetitive fics in fandom is because we value people behind those fics, and because we consider those people integral to our fandom experience. Yes, their fic may be repetitive, amateurish and full of cliches but that is not their only contribution to fandom. A lot of fic writers run excellent fandom blogs, reblog posts and support of other creators, make gifs, mod challenges and discords. Even if they’re just lurkers, they contribute to fandom in many small ways. No AI is gonna do that for us. And it is accepted that every writer has to start somewhere, their first fics may not be the best, but they still will reflect on fandom trends. If we want to read amazing fics some day, we must support beginner writers now. When I see a bunch of similar tropey fics in my fandom, I know that my fandom is thriving. There’s a person behind each fic, there’s dialogue, there’s collective creative ping pong, there’s belonging to a group. (and then there’s Goncharov)

In fact, often times we value stories BECAUSE they so closely imitate things we've consumed before. We JOKE in fandom about the fact that we'll read 500 stories with the exact same premise that all end up the exact same way. We often overtly VALUE the highly imitative nature of storytelling (both in fandom and in wider world).

Yes, we JOKE on tumblr that if there are 500 fake dating fics, we will read them all and ask for more. But we NEVER read them all when we go to AO3. Sure, a popular trope will get an eyeballs on the fic and give it some hits, but it does not guarantee that people will kudos, comment and keep reccing the fic only because it has that popular trope. I speak from my experience as a destiel fic reccer. There’s time when fake dating was very popular and lots of authors wrote fics with this trope for dcbb. Well, not all fics got the same attention and feedback. Sometimes even, fics with great tumblr promo posts and thousands of tumblr notes had very modest stats on AO3. Because at the end of the day, supporting idea on tumblr is easy. Reading the fic, and then engaging with the author, takes effort. And most people spare that effort to fics they really liked. This is fandom dichotomy between “I want to support all my friends” and “I want to read only good fics in the limited time that I have”. 

Fic authors are very aware of this unbalanced feedback loop. It will get only harder if AI fics will flood the tags and take away some eyeballs. I think this is the main reason why so many fic writers and readers balk at the idea of untagged artificially produced fic. Such creation goes against the very nature of fandom. Commenting on a fic can lead to fandom friendships or just a positivity boost of “Hell, yea! I made another human happy with my comment!”. I’ve no idea how should I react to a fic that is a product of data filtering and squeezing even if I could admit that the end result is actually decent. Commenting on an AI fic is a dead end, ChatGPT will not write me another fic or discuss my blorbo with me.

A month or two ago, a troll or a spam bot was leaving comments on AO3 fics saying something like “ Work scanned, AI use detected “ which stressed out a lot of folks who didn’t know how to prove that they wrote the fic themselves. AI generated content is already being disruptive and it will impact and change fandom. The thing I’m trying to say here is that, AI fic is not bad because it’d be low quality or “without a soul”. It is bad news because it is disruptive to fandom as we know it in ways we can’t really predict yet. And that is scary.

[svtegg]

syncope (SVT apocalypse!au)

♡ wordcount: 2,1k ♡ chapter 3/? (chapter 1 & chapter 2 is here!)

♡ rated PG-13: mentions of blood, voilence and death, sexual themes

♡ pairing: svt x reader (mostly soonyoung in this part!)

♡ After meeting the boy from the office building again, finding out he was named Soonyoung and then running from him in a panic after another one of the men in his group had shouted for him, I found myself in dire need. The scorching summer was nothing but ruthless and my supplies where long gone. In a last attempt at saving my own life I had searched for water in a park across town but barely managed to get there in time, my weak body giving out. But where did that voice come from? Who was staning in front of my half-unconcious body? How long had I been blacked out? 

“Hyung. Look, over there!” I could faintly hear a voice and then footsteps approaching me, the dry ground almost crunching under the weight of the person walking around me. The voice was soft and high pitched, with a sort of bounce to it. I opened my eyes but couldn’t move. My vision was swimming, and everything seemed to be further away somehow. The foggy silhouettes of two people leaning over me, the green grass and the light blue sky above. There where birds singing in the trees looming above me, and I felt like I had died. An eerie peacefulness encapsulating my body as I blinked in an effort to clear my vision. Then black. And blue. The sky, the fluffy white clouds drifting past me miles above where the only thing I could focus on. I couldn’t really feel my body, but the familiar sound of birds and the smell of grass was still registered by my senses before my body decided I needed to go back into the darkness.

Jicheol had led Eunju, Junghyun and I back into the city. I had recognized the signs. Seoul. The four of us had moved from camp to camp, avoiding the packs of roamers as best as we could. We had almost been hunted down by a group of raiders, or bandits. They drove around in a big military looking vehicle, yelling and laughing as they hit roamers and drove over those who where already dead. Crazy. They must be crazy. Jicheol had managed to hide us in a back alley as they drove past, a huge container serving as our shelter for the night as we waited for the raiders to drive off elsewhere.

“Hello? Are you okay?” I could hear somewhere far away. I could feel my body laying on something soft, and a faint sound of something roaring. It could have been a car engine. “She’s talking, hyung..” a distressed voice said, it suddenly sounded closer. I tried opening my eyes but it was too bright. “Something about a Jicheol?” the same voice continued. I could feel my body shaking slightly, my muscles involuntary clenching as I suddenly became really cold.

“I’m hungry..” Junghyun complained for the nth time that day, it was hot and the sun was burning the skin on my shoulders. No one answered the young boy as the group of 4 trekked along a highway full of abandoned and rusted cars. Eunju was panting heavily beside me. “I’m hungry!” The young boy said again, louder this time. No one answered. There had been nothing. Nothing for days. No food, no water, nothing. A breeze blew by but somehow the wind made me feel even hotter. “I’m hungry!” The child stomped. Eunju turned around, her voice hoarse and dry. “We know, Junghyunnie. We don’t have food, sweetie. You’ll have to hold on for a litte longer.” She breathed, her skin dry but still sweaty, and looking to be on the verge of burning under the unforgiving sun. Jicheol kept walking. His broad back becoming smaller as his heavy footsteps took him away from the rest of us.  

A bridge was coming up, which meant there would maybe be a run-down convenience store or a gas station somewhere near. “Just a little longer.” Eunju repeated exhaustedly as she turned around, following Jicheol’s footsteps. The boy sighed, and trailed after the old woman and as I stood there I could see the backsides of what was left of my group. A broad, strong looking man in his late 40s, a young small boy, smaller than his actual age with a bright neon cap on his head and a older woman, her back looking tired under the weight of her backpack. They all looked exhausted, I was took. Keep walking.

My eyes couldn’t focus and it was dark. Way too dark. I took a couple of breaths, first deep ones to calm myself then it evened out into easier lighter breaths. I blinked a couple of times as I tried to adjust my eyes to the environment. It smelled like wood. Not trees but actual chopped wood used to make fires. Firewood. It smelled a little like synthetic fabric. I could feel my head banging as made an effort to sit up, and I had to steady myself as I looked around. It looked like a small bedroom, almost like a motel. The walls where wood colored, the floor in a beige carpet. A dresser was placed under the window by the door. The window seemed to have been covered with something because small glimpses of sunlight peaked through one of the cracks in whatever it was covering the window. I was on top of a bed, an unzipped sleeping bag thrown over me, and a flannel covering the pillow that had been placed under my head.

I try sitting up, but at first my entire body gave out, my muscles aching at the slightest movement. I turn around slightly and a sharp pain shoots down my right arm. I bite my tongue to keep quiet and sit up. As my feet met the carpet, I noticed my shoes where gone as the carpet tickled the underside of my feet. I looked around and noticed my boots by the night stand. And on top of the nightstand, an unplugged bedside light and plate of food. It looked like bread with something red on, jam maybe. I didn’t spare it a second glance as I pulled my boots onto my feet and rose up from the bed. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I staggered a little before I steadied myself on the closet by the end of the bed.

As I stood and let myself breathe while I tried to focus my eyes back onto the carpet, I heart voices outside. “Seen anything on the lookout?” A deep voice said, it seemed to come from right outside the door to the room I was currently in. I froze. “Nah, no activity tonight. But that’s really the best outcome of a shift. How’s the newcomer doing?” the other person answered, voice even deeper than the first one. “I don’t know, there’s not been much activity there either. I checked a couple hours ago and she still hadn’t touched her food so I don’t think she’s conscious yet.” They seemed to go quiet for a while, until I heard more talking. “Was it Minghao and Cheol that found her?” One of them inquired. The other voice hummed in confirmation. “In one of the parks in fucking Guri.” Answered the lighter voice. “Shit, dude. That place is infested with lurkers all over. Lucky thing she wasn’t eaten alive.” They continue talking, and I start moving around the room. My knife is gone, and my thigh strap is no where to be found. They also took my backpack. I look though all the cabinets and drawers. Nothing. I creep back over to the bed and sit down, I can’t just leave. It seems like they, whoever they are, have set up guard outside the door of my room. My physique is nowhere near able to bust out and escape, I don’t know where I am or what’s outside the door of the apartment, I’m currently trapped in. But why did they bring me back here? Why didn’t they just leave me to die? Or kill me themselves?

As I sit and ponder about what to do, the handle of the door only meters in front of me turns and suddenly I’m face to face with a tall man. “Oh, good! You’re awake.” He says casually and opens the door wider. He stands there, looking down at me as I keep sitting on the bed. “Are you no hungry?” He questions, a slight smile on his lips as he gestures towards the food on the nightstand. I look down at my hands for a moment and then back up at him. The man is very handsome, a black tshirt stretched across his torso, black hair tousled and half covering his eyes. Light wash blue jeans that seem more like beige because of the specks of mud and dirt that are spattered across his legs. He hums in a questioning tone, the hoarseness of his voice shining through even when he’s just humming. “Where am I?” I say, my voice weak, dry and hoarse. I cough a little and look back at the man in front of me. “A little north of Seoul.” He answers simply as he leans against the door frame, still smiling slightly. It was hard to tell if it was a friendly smile or a smug one.

I didn’t say anything else, just looked around the room as his stare is fixed on me. I move a little and hiss at the pain that aches in my shoulder. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?” He perks, his head leaning a little forward to peek through the strands of hair hanging in his face. “I think its dislocated.” I state, my voice still a little strained from the pain. “Shit, how long has it been like that?” He asks in a hushed voice as he moves towards me, I flinch, and he stops in his tracks. “I don’t know, going on about three weeks, I think. I’ve lost track of time.” I state, my eyes scanning the tall man. His eyes meet mine and he seems to be gauging my reaction as he slowly moves towards me. “Let me have a look at it.” He rasps and takes the last two steps over and squats down to my level. When I don’t say anything, he reaches a hand out and places it on the back of my shoulder while his other hand comes up to lightly poke the skin around my collarbones.

His hands where cold, and the air that was now blowing in through the open door is chilly. I took a deep breath in. After a while the man looks back at me, and he smiles softly but his eyes still show worry. “I think we can fix this, but I’m gonna need some help.” He states, voice upbeat and friendly. He stands back up and runs a hand through his hair. As he moves around me, I can smell the scent of smoke, campfire smoke, and pine. And a little bit of sweat. “If you wanna come with me I’ll see if I can find someone to help me fix you up a bit, maybe we’ll even be in time for dinner.” He smiles, voice soft and I can hear a hint of a lisp when he speaks. “Sure.” I whisper, before I even get the chance to think about it. The man seems so friendly and I somehow choose to blindly trust him as I follow after him when he leaves the room.

The place I’ve ended up seems to be some sort of mountain resort, motel layout with several rooms. There are two additional buildings beside the one we’re currently walking down the stairs of. One of them seems to be some sort of administration or facility house, and the other is just a huge hangar. Maybe used as some sort of storage or parking housing. Then there’s the three-story residential housing I’m currently walking down the steps of. The entire facility is painted in deep red colors with green doors and windows, thick wooden beams keeping the overhanging ceiling in place. I spot a fence longer down the road, and something that looks like a watch tower tucked into the tree line.

“I’m Mingyu by the way.” The man says as he looks back at you. His eyes sparkle a little in the low evening sun, the orange light from the sunset making his skin almost glow. Then he turns back and keeps walking. As I look around some more, I spot two cars parked between some of the foliage behind some piles of wood. One seemed to be a dark grey Kia Morning in surprisingly good condition, the other was too far behind a tree to see but it looked to be in good shape as well. As we made our way into the ajar building I could faintly smell something that reminded of food. “What is this place?” I whisper, more to myself but Mingyu hears and chuckles.

“Camp.” He simply says as he reaches the glass door to the facility housing. “We’re a group who lives here, we’re doing pretty well actually.” He continues as he holds open the door, signaling for me to go inside. I look up at him, then back at the door. “You don’t have to be afraid.” Mingyu smiles, “I promise we’re nice.” I sigh and step through the entrance, and Mingyu follows, closing the door softly behind himself.

[eddiesgazebos]

IT Decays (4/?) - Scavenge

The dead are living. The living are at war. So what will one group of misfit losers do to survive?

An IT Zombie Apocalypse AU

cast word count: 1647

Read on Wattpad! | Read on AO3!

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (coming soon)

Days went by. Weeks went by. Nothing had been fixed. One grave turned into four graves. Four crosses lined up almost perfectly straight. Four names of strangers they had never seen before their ultimate death.

New rules had been made. They had to cut back on what they ate and used for meals. Of course, they had the garden and crops but other than that, food would be hard to find. The severity of the dwindling world around them was finally setting in. So was the panic.

Ben sighed heavily as he slung his backpack over his shoulders and looked over at Mike and Richie who were doing the same. Mike checked the walkie-talkie and made sure it connected to the one in Beverly's hand. He sighed in relief when the two squawked out then looked at the rest of the group.

"Ben, Richie, and I are going to town. We'll see what it's like there" Mike told the others. His gun hung over his shoulder along with his backpack. Richie and Ben both had pocket knives hiding in their jean pockets.

"Please be safe" Beverly said as she stood and kissed her boyfriend on the lips then gave Mike and Richie kisses on their cheeks. "Return in one piece. All three of you"

"We will" Ben responded. His hand lingered in Beverly's not wanting to let it go.

"Nobody would dare to fuck with us. We look so damn badass!" Richie stated. He, of course, went above and beyond. He had a bandana tied around his face, a hat on his head, and a belt with handles for guns which he had none of. Beverly cracked a smile and rolled her eyes.

"We'll be back before the sun goes down" Mike stated. They gave their goodbyes and left for the Jeep. Mike got into the driver's seat, Ben in the passenger, and Richie in the back. He started the Jeep up and drove out onto the road. "I'm thinking we pull off into the trees just before town. Walk the rest of the way?"

"Why the fuck would we do that?" Richie asked. Mike rolled his eyes.

"Saves gas. Anyway, the town is probably a disaster with cars scattered all about. It would be hard to snake around them. Oh! If we do find a lot of cars, we can steal their gas. I have the tools to do that in the back and some gas tanks"

"Damn, we're really resulting in being criminals" Ben muttered.

"It's been weeks, Ben. We haven't even heard any updates on the radio. We're on our own out here" Mike stated firmly. Ben sighed in defeat, knowing Mike was right. He just didn't want to admit the facts.

"So, what if some gangs hold guns on us. What do we do then?" Richie asked. Mike rolled his eyes. "Serious question!"

"You keep your mouth shut and let Ben and I deal with it," Mike told him. Richie shrugged.

"Fair enough" Richie replied.

Mike pulled off the road just outside of the inner town of Derry. He pulled off into the trees then got out with Ben and Richie. They moved branches and bushes to hide the car the best they could then walked toward the road. Ben packed the tools needed to steal gas in his backpack and carried a gas can with them.

The town was emptier than they had ever seen it. Cars were randomly placed about along the roads, some even crashed. The town looked like a mess but there really wasn't much sign of other humans. At least, none that weren't dead.

"Where to first?" Richie asked softly as he eyed the dead lurkers down the road. Mike motioned toward the big convenience store and led the way. Ben and Richie followed close behind, keeping a lookout from all angles. Mike slowly pushed the door open, noting it was smashed. He pointed at the broken glass, warning his friends. They nodded in return.

They walked inside and looked around. The place was a mess. Counters were broken, empty boxes were thrown about, there were even a few lights that had fallen from the ceiling and smashed on the floor. Each of the boys let out a soft sigh.

"Alright, take what we can find. If there's even anything left" Mike stated. Ben and Richie walked away obediently to look for anything to scavenge.

Richie found some moldy bread and looked closely to find it's color. Once he noted it was blue, he tossed the bag of bread into his backpack. Ben saw him and slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you taking that?" Ben asked from down the aisle. "It's moldy and disgusting"

"Eddie had mentioned at the house that the mold can be turned into forms of antibiotics. He read it in some medical book a while back" Richie replied as he shoved another bag of moldy bread into his backpack.

"Does he even know how?"

"We'll find out. If you find any honey or garlic, I think those are things that can be used too" Richie noted then turned away to check behind some empty boxes. Ben nodded and left the aisle to check other shelves.

Ben found a few cans of tuna, a few bags of chips, and a few boxes of seasoned rice. Each item was packed into his bag. He kicked some empty boxes out of the way and made sure to scan over every shelf thoroughly. He found more spiders and bugs than anything else in the aisle he was in.

Richie found various items to store in his backpack. He found himself in the children's section of the store out of pure curiosity of what would be left. Surprisingly, there was a lot. He found a big box of chalk and snatched it off the shelf with a small grin. He also grabbed a few boxes of crayons and markers. He stored the crayons and markers but carried the chalk with him. When he left the aisle, Mike was standing nearby and gave him a confused look.

"You never know if we'll need to mark something!" Richie stated. Mike just rolled his eyes but gave an amused chuckle. "I don't see spray paint here so this chalk is what we're using. Anyway, find anything good?"

"Some tools and dishes. A few boxes of baking ingredients. But a lot of it is a waste" Mike sighed.

"There's a tool shop around here. We should hit there too" Richie mentioned. "We have a lot at home but extra couldn't hurt"

"You're right, Rich" Mike responded with the nod of his head. "We can also check out the mechanic's building. Wouldn't hurt to stop by the pharmacy. I'm sure it's all gone by now but we have time to spare" Richie nodded. Ben came up the final aisle and sighed heavily.

"Didn't find much" Ben admitted. The others shared their findings and they headed out the door quietly. Richie opened the box of chalk and turned around. He looked up at the archway covering the sidewalk then moved a few shopping carts out of the way. He then knelt down. Mike and Ben watched him curiously.

Richie carefully wrote 'Nothing Left' along the sidewalk with an arrow pointing at the doors. Richie then put the chalk away, dusted his hands off, and turned back to his friends. Mike nodded and led the way to the next building.

They looted most of the buildings in the main part of Derry. Ben even stopped by the library to get enough books to entertain the readers in the group. Their findings really weren't much but even the smallest of things would help.

Richie stopped when he noticed a gun still holstered on a dead cop laying in the street. Richie looked ahead at Mike and Ben who hadn't noticed that he had stopped then walked toward the dead body. His knife was already although he could tell the cop was actually dead.

Richie slowly knelt down by the body. By this time, Mike and Ben both had noticed and looked back to see what he was doing. They walked back to his side.

"Is this even legal?" Ben asked.

"None of what we're doing is legal, Ben!" Richie muttered back as he unholstered the gun and checked to see if there was ammo in it. There was.

"But you're literally taking government property" Ben mumbled nervously.

"Ben! Laws clearly don't apply here anymore!" Richie snapped before he sighed heavily. "We need guns. You know how this world will be without laws"

"He's right" Mike admitted. Ben gave in and Richie was quick to place the pistol into his own gun holster. He checked for more clips of ammo but unfortunately, only found a few.

"It's better than nothin', right?" Richie looked at Mike with a raised eyebrow. Mike nodded and squeezed Richie's shoulder.

"Nice find"

Things went smoothly until they arrived at the mechanics building. Mike opened the door and as soon as it was opened, they heard a crash inside followed by a low groan. Mike sighed heavily and looked at Richie and Ben. They both nodded and Ben took the lead. Ben turned on his flashlight to see in the shadows. He carefully walked around the place and listened to the sounds.

"Hello?" Ben called out gently. "If you're alive, speak up. We're not here to hurt you" the only response there was, was a loud groan. Ben sighed. He hated this part. He noticed the dead man stumbling around the shelves and gulped. He had his pocket knife ready and waited for the dead one to get closer.

Just as the dead man tried to reach out for Ben, Ben quickly pushed his arms away and stabbed him through the skull. The dead fell to the floor, truly dead this time. Ben frowned and stepped over him. Richie and Mike frowned too but followed.

They looted the place of everything they needed. They left what they had no use for, hoping others that needed it would find it.

They made it to each building and took what they could. Most of the things they found was just junk but luckily, there were still a few good things left. Their backpacks filled pretty quickly and they couldn't possibly fill them anymore.

So they headed back for the Jeep. They dodged the dead that roamed the streets. Ben had gotten a full can of gas from the cars they passed and even went back with the other cans to get more. While he stole the gas, Richie and Mike made noisy distractions for the dead to follow so Ben was safe. When they were done, they then all piled into the Jeep and drove home. The sun had already started to set. The only light on the road came from the headlights of the Jeep.

Everything was fine, that is until they saw another pair of headlights directly in front of them.