Departing Dunsbrough
Posted on Wed Jan 14th, 2026 @ 10:11pm by Cassandra Lennox & Bartholomew Addington & René Rouen & Albert 'Bert' Smith & Juliet Parrish
Edited on on Wed Jan 14th, 2026 @ 10:11pm
1,917 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Safe Harbour
Location: Dunsbrough, UK
Timeline: 03.12.2012/0700 hours (December 3rd, 2012/7am
The expedition had risen early, eaten a cold and quick breakfast, and packed for the journey home. René had felt a bit off since waking up. He didn't have a real reason for feeling that way and he attributed the feeling to just being in a strange place. It wasn't until he stepped outside that he knew something terrible was about to happen. The smell of death hung in the air. He turned in the direction of the docks several blocks away and felt a breeze on his face. He drew his sword and dirk from their scabbards and gestured with the rapier as the others stepped out onto the street. "The Soulless are between us and the boat. It smells like a lot of them too."
"Want me to draw them away? I wanna head to the bell tower and get my stuff anyway." The newcomer suggested, he knew he'd probably be turned down, but was willing to try for the group.
Juliet glanced from the two newcomers to Cassandra. "We'll need to reconnect the hoses from the tanks to the fuel pump, weigh anchor and cast off the mooring lines. Perhaps five to ten minutes from the time we board to being able to pull away from the dock."
"Let's see how many there are first," Cassandra instructed gently. If there were five or six, they could easily take them on, as it was one-to-one. She rubbed her nose, hating the way the smell clung to the cold air and snuck towards the looking ledge that the old village had that looked out over the docks. Cassandra winced as she pulled back her binoculars and shook her head as she looked down the hill. "How are there that many after we barely saw anything yesterday? I have no idea." She whispered as she returned to the group. "A good 20."
"Ill make a noise and draw most of the away. I can lose them quickly, I know the town pretty well now. Will take me 10 15 minutes." Bert offered.
Confusion crossed René's face as he looked around the group. "There's only 20 of them. I dispatched a dozen just 2 days ago. Granted it was in 2 separate waves. Theres 6 of us. It shouldn't be a problem."
“We came in yesterday and there were not many around. We do not know if the noise we make will bring more.” Cassandra said with a knowing sigh. She wished it was that simple as take them out and get to boat.
“Go the tower quickly get your stuff and set the bells off then come straight down to the harbour.” They had to be ready by then or else.
Bert gave a smile nod as he did up his coat and slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder. "Don't wait for me, if you're ready, just go. If I'm not there by then, I probably didn't make it." He said quietly.
"We do leave people behind. Go with him," Cassandra murmured to Barthelowmew, who instantly saluted. He smirked at the surprised faces, but he had faith in the woman not leaving him behind, and if he got left behind, he would wander home eventually with the stray in tow. Cassie watched them leave and started counting in her head. Five minutes or so into her counting, she smiled as the bells started ringing ominously in the background and it was like the town suddenly came alive with the amount of zombies coming out of the woodwork.
René drew his sword and dirk in preparation for their escape fron Dunsbrough. It would be only another minute or two before the group would move out for the boat. The dock area cleared of the undead. He looked to Cassandra, Dmitri and Juliet.
Cassandra hated the moment of waiting but soon it was just them and some stragglers. Cassandra raised her crossbow and aimed at the nearest one as she watched Dimitri do the same. “Come on.”
René stepped out from behind the wall. He proceeded towards the dock, weapons at the ready.
Juliet stayed right behind René as they crossed the open area to the dock. She glanced at Cassandra and Dmitri. "I need about five minutes and we'll be ready to cast off." She climbed over the rail and headed aft to the rear engine compartment.
“You have more than enough time. Go.” Cassandra said quietly as she climbed onto the ship to start checking things over to make sure that none of the zombies had gotten onboard. Once back on the top deck she looked down the way they had come waiting for the pair to come back from the church. The bells were still going loudly in the background which meant something was swinging on them.
Bert ran into the church and headed for the bell tower. He started moving crates and other debris head placed there, then took a large sheet away to reveal a long wooden ladder. He grabbed it and put it up to the bell tower hatch. "You first, I'll watch your back."
Bartholomew shook his head. “Just go and get your stuff.” The man muttered as he started to look around the bell tower.
'Helpful much! Bert thought to himself. "Alright." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. He quickly climbed the ladder. Once at the top he pulled the ladder up so he could get up to the bell. Again, he climbed up to the bell house. The ropes had long since removed so he needed to use all his strength to get the bell going.
With his gloves hands he pulled the heavy iron bell towards himself. Slowly taking a step back until he couldn't hold the weight any longer, he released it.
DONG
Now time was of the essence. He scooted himself down the ladder and quickly threw his worldly belongings into his tatty back pack before slinging it round his shoulders.
BONG
Bert quickly lowered the ladder down to the ground floor before practically sliding himself down. "Let's go!" He shouted at Bart.
DONG
“Incoming.” Cassandra called as she spotted the pair running down the hill and the fact they had quite a few zombies following them. “Juliet? How you doing on getting the ship going ?” She demanded as she grabbed up her crossbow.
Juliet finished clamping the hose that ran from the fuel tank to the engine and emerged from the engine compartment. She rushed forward to the open air pilot station and began pumping the manual primer. "One minute."
Rene was still on the pier. He shifted his gaze from the running men to the people on the boat and then back as the engine kicked to life. A new threat emerged from the large building nearest the dock. Two of the Soulless emerged from the warehouse with more shambling out behind. "Merde! Someone has to hold the pier entrance." He dashed towards the shore end of the pier. He didn't stop there. He took a classic fencing stance, darting forward and striking with his rapier before retreating and lining up his next attack.
Bert and Bart arrived at the dock to see a large amount of undead in their path. "What the hell happened? Surely the bell would have attracted them!" He said to Bart as he pulled his bow off his shoulders and drew an arrow from the holder. He quickly aimed and downed one and then another.
“They must have been in the warehouses.” Bartholomew said annoyed that their plan and not worked as well as it should have.
“Idiotic.” Cassandra mumbled as she jumped ashore. You never ever engaged so close if you could help it and they could with Dimitri and Cassandra’s arrows. She watched as Bartholomew barged into a zombie sending the former patient of a hospital flying into the water. “Start the engineer Juliet.” Cassandra warned as she sent an arrow flying to one of the zombies about to grab Bart.
Juliet yelled to Dmitri. "Cast off the aft mooring line and then stand ready on the bow line." Juliet worked on getting the diesel engine started. The engine sputtered but wouldn't turn over the first two times she keyed the ignition. The third attempt brought the engine to life with a roar and loud backfire.
René was doing a good job of keeping the entrance to the pier clear. He was tempted to fight his way through this group of the Soulless to assist Albert and Bartholomew, but the loud engine backfire had drawn a lot of undead attention. His job was to hold the choke point, a task that was becoming more difficult with each passing second. "Hurry! I can’t defend this position for much longer!"
Bartholomew weighed up his spear and the crowbar that he had borrowed from Juliet. “Just jab and run.” The former police officer advised as he slammed the crowbar through a zombie and flung another away. He watched as Cassandra cleared a path a little for them. “Through there.” He instructed.
Bert nodded as he headed to the gap. He used the end of his bow to stab a rotter in the eye as he went past. He found himself in some space, he loaded an arrow into his bow, took aim and fired.
Bartholomew jabbed and ran like he suggested until he got passed René and pushed BART toward the boat. “Come on!” He demanded as several arrows shot passed him.
“Everyone on the on boat now.” Cassandra yelled reloading.
René held his ground for a few seconds as the men rushed on to the dock through the gap Cassandra had cleared. He turned and sprinted as Cassandra called out. He paused as he reached the boat to resheath his weapons before clamoring aboard after the others.
Juliet throttled up the boat's engines and began pulling away from the dock. She finally breathed out a sigh of relief as the boat cleared the end of the pier.
Rene gripped the rail, panting hard from the exertion of holding the choke point. He watched the horde of undead disappear as they slipped into the ocean fog. He had a troubled expression.
Cassandra frowned as she sat on the deck and shook her head. “That went well.” She finally breathed softly thinking of all the food below that would see them through the winter and they had secure stuff to other trips.
Juliet looked at her watch, the boat compass and speedometer as she brought the boat on course to clear the shallows. She lashed the steering wheel in place and walked over to Cassandra, beckoning the others to join them.
René stepped over, but appeared somewhat distracted as he glanced into the fog aft of the boat. He gave himself a mental shake and focused on the others.
Juliet glanced briefly at her watch. She had two minutes before she had to adjust course. She turned her gaze on Cassandra. "You okay Cassie? You have your troubled expression."
Cassandra looked ovee and just laughed a little. “I always have a trouble expression. Just get us home safely and it’ll change for a few moments.” She advised smiling a little more as pulled up her jacket a little more and just watched the sea. Being a leader would always bring a trouble expression but that was the price for safety and she was willing to pay it.
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