WHiTEZombE: So yeah, here's that little message dealy that says I do not own Resident Evil (I wish I did, however... :) ) and I don't own any of the characters in the games, yada-yada blah-blah-blah. I tried to do something different this time, so I hope you like it. RnR if you want, and I'll take any sort of advice you throw at me. Ciao!

( RE )

RESIDENT EVIL
ONLINE

"Man, what time is it?" Jake mumbled to himself, the final images of his dream fleeing from his eyes. He yawned and moved the mouse to his computer, dismissing that amusing flying pig screen saver he found on the internet a few weeks back. His email account was open, as well as several chat rooms. He groaned when he realized there were more than a few pop-ups open as well.

"Stupid pop-up killer doesn't even work," he muttered as he began closing the annoying advertisements. No, he didn't want to learn how he could get his free credit report. No, he didn't want to sign up to receive a free Play Station. He knew very well there was no such a thing as a "free lunch". No, he didn't want to find and chat with hot singles online. And he was certain as hell he didn't want to receive a free sample of "size increasing pills"... There were several more of these little ads, but he closed these without so much as looking at them. No one sent him any emails while he was asleep, so he closed that. He scanned the chat rooms, finding that they were either dead or filled with losers arguing over who was hotter, Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. Disappointed, he closed the chat rooms and decided to call it a night. It was coming on close to two in the morning anyway, and he had a baseball game to play later that afternoon. Besides, he wanted to get back to his dream. He was about to sign off when he received an IM.

raccoongurl14: hi

"Who's this?" Jake wondered aloud. He thought about hitting the ignore button, but it occured to him that it could be a girl he knew from school. Either that or it was just some complete stranger. What the heck, he was bored and had nothing better to do anyway.

homerunner83: hi, who's this?
raccoongurl14: um, no one you know
raccoongurl14: I just saw you in the chat room
raccoongurl14: just thought I'd say hi
homerunner83: ok

So it wasn't a girl he knew from school.

homerunner83: so, what's up?

The next day, Jake couldn't help but think about her. They had talked for hours the night before, and Jake had to force himself to get to bed. Her name was Carol and she lived in Raccoon City, a small town not too far from where he lived. She wasn't much into sports, but she loved to draw and she kept several notebooks full of sketches. Jake always had a thing for the artistic type. He had fun talking to her, but he was tired as hell! He kept daydreaming about what she looked like, and eventually his daydreaming lead him to sleep.

"Hey Jake!" Jake shot straight up and smacked the back of his head against the dugout wall. His eyes burned and his mind was foggy.
"Wake up!" It was coach McClain. "You're up." Jake scrambled over to the plate, realized he forgot his bat, had one thrown to him. He stared hard at the pitcher, trying to concentrate, trying to predict what he was going to throw at him. The pitcher wound up, threw. It came fast. Jake swung, cursed, realized he swung to early.

"STRIKE ONE!" The umpire's shout made him jump.
"Come on, Jake," coach McClain yelled. "This guy's nothing to you!" Jake readied his bat again and studied the pitcher's eyes. He was looking at the catcher. They seemed to be arguing about what to give him next. Jake hoped it was something he could hit. He was the first to admit that he wasn't the greatest hitter on the team. The pitcher nodded his head, Jake tightened the grip on his bat. The ball came at an angle. Jake swung, connected. He dropped his bat and began his sprint to first base.

"FOUL BALL!" Jake jogged back to the hitter's box.
"One more try," he thought to himself. The pitcher smirked at Jake as he wound up the pitch. "Here we go." Another fastball made its way to him. Jake swung hard, sure he was going to hit a homerun.

"STRIKE THREE! YOU'RE OUT!"

"Hey, honey, how'd the game go?" Jake threw down his gear and flopped down on the couch. The TV was on, something about the rising number of riots in the Arklay mountain area.
"I did terrible today, Mom," Jake grumbled.
"Well, you'll do better next time," she told him.
"I missed four catches today." He grabbed the throw pillow laying next to him and smothered it in his face. "I am so tired." His mom walked over to the couch and snatched the pillow away from him.
"Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up all night on the computer." His mom knew everything. "And don't wipe your dirty face on the pillows! Now, go put away your stuff and take a shower. The beef stew will be done in thirty-five."

Jake liked showers. They gave him lots of time to think, and the droning sound of falling water put him in a deep state of thought. He turned off the hot water and stepped into the chilliness of his room. He shivered for a few seconds then grabbed the towel off of his chair. A little icon was blinking on his computer; someone had sent him an IM. Jake dried himself off a little then sat down and clicked on it.

raccoongurl14: hey there

Jake felt his heart jump. He had been waiting all day to talk to her again.

homerunner83: hi again
raccoongurl14: so didya guys win?
homerunner83: nope
homerunner83: and I totally sucked today
raccoongurl14: aww
homerunner83: yeah, I was so tired
raccoongurl14: sorry I kept you up last night
homerunner83: it's ok
raccoongurl14: so what are ya up to now?
homerunner83: just got out of the shower
raccoongurl14: nice
raccoongurl14: ;)

Was she hitting on him? A dirty smile crossed Jake's face as he typed in his next message.

homerunner83: so what do you want to talk about?
raccoongurl14: i dunno, whatever you want
raccoongurl14: i'm bored
homerunner83: ok
raccoongurl14: hey
homerunner83: yeah?
raccoongurl14: you wanna cyber?
homerunner83: what are you wearing?

"Dinner's ready!"
"Dammit!"

raccoongurl14: so how was dinner?
homerunner83: it was great
homerunner83: we had beef stew
raccoongurl14: yum! hey, I scanned this while you were gone. Now you can see what I look like.

Jake clicked on his received images and a photo of two girls with short blonde hair popped up. They were standing in front of a large gate with the words Raccoon City Police Department arched across the top. One of the girls, who looked to be in her twenties, was dressed up in a cop's uniform - a light blue dress shirt and dark blue pants. She was hot. Her right hand was resting on the other girl's shoulder, which Jake knew was Carol. She was wearing a pink tank top with a sunflower in the middle, and white capri shorts. The cutest smile adorned her freckled face.

homerunner83: wow, you're pretty cute
raccoongurl14: thanks :)
homerunner83: so who's the other girl?
raccoongurl14: oh, that's my sister Rita. I'm living with her for now, cuz my Dad's on a business trip
homerunner83: that's cool
raccoongurl14: so where's your pic?
homerunner83: hold on, I have one from my baseball team

File Sent C/My Documents/My Pictures/MeBaseball.jpg

raccoongurl14: you look so hot in your uniform ;)
homerunner83: hehe, thanks
raccoongurl14: so...
homerunner83: yeah...
raccoongurl14: where were we?

"Good morning, Mom!" Jake sang as he ran down the stairs. "You're in a good mood," his mom noticed. Jake shrugged his shoulders.
"Just slept good last night, I guess." Jake grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge, then sat down at the table and began digging into his sausage and scrambled eggs.
"That's good. Do you need me to drop you off at practice today?"
"Nah, Devin's mom will pick me up."
"Okay. Do you want french toast, too?"
"Yeah, that'd be good." His mom went back to the stove and began preparing the french toast. Jake ate in silence for awhile, images of Carol flashing through his mind. "Mom, how far away is Raccoon City?"
"Let me see," his mom thought. "I think it's about a forty minute drive, all the way on the other side of the mountain. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Do you think the trains run there?"
"I'm pretty sure they do, but why would you want to go there?"
"I don't know, just for a change of pace. They have a zoo there."
"Well, you're not going alone, not with all those riots going on."
"Riots?"
"There've been a lot of bloody riots going on in Raccoon City. It's not a safe place to be right now." More silence. Jake finished his eggs and sausage and poured himself a glass of juice. His mom placed the french toast on his plate.
"Do you have a girl friend down there?" Jake blushed a little. How did his mom always know?
"No," he lied as he took a big bite of french toast.
"A game or a girl is the only reason I can see you going to a place like Raccoon City. So what's her name?"
"Carol."
"Nice name." His mom glanced at the clock hanging over the TV. "We'll talk about this later, honey. I've got to get to work." She grabbed her bag off the table and planted a kiss on top of his head. "I'll see you later on tonight. Have fun at practice."
"I will. Bye, Mom." Jake ate the rest of his french toast slowly, listening carefully to hear his mom's car pull out of the drive way. When he was sure she was gone, he inhaled the rest of his breakfast and dashed back up the stairs. He checked his computer screen excitedly, hoping Carol was awake. He sent her an IM anyway.

homerunner83: hey, I think I might come visit you today

She didn't answer for awhile, so he assumed she was still sleeping. He threw on some blue jeans, decided they were too wrinkled. There was a pair of black shorts hanging on the back of his computer chair, so he put those on instead. He put on his favorite green shirt, the one with a spray paint-like smiley face on it. He glanced at his computer screen again, feeling a bit of disappointment when he saw that Carol still hadn't replied. She would still be surprised to find out he was coming to see her, he thought as he headed out the door. It was a surprisingly cold summer morning, but the sun was shining and there were more than a few birds singing somewhere in the trees. Today felt like a good day. Jake grabbed his dark blue bike leaning against the garage and made his way towards the train station. He couldn't wait to see Carol. She had given him her sister's address last night, just in case he ever happened to be in Raccoon City. They wouldn't miss him at practice, and he had already called his coach and told him he couldn't make it. His mom wouldn't expect him home until late. He would be able to spend the whole day with her. The old brick building that was the train station came into view as he turned the corner. He noticed Ray, the old man who worked the ticket office, getting into his car. Jake rolled up to the driver's window and peeked his head inside.
"Good morning, Mr. Taylor," Jake greeted him. "Got the day off?"
"Got the day off nothing," Ray replied. "Goddamn National Guard took over the station and closed it down."
"What?"
"Yeah. They didn't say why, but I have a feeling it has something to do with Raccoon City. You were planning on going somewhere?" Jake didn't answer him. He was already pedalling as fast as he could back home. He reached his house in record time, let his bike crash to the ground, and practically barged into the house. Jake jumped on the couch, turned on the TV and switched to the news. The voice of an excited sounding reporter narrated what looked like a full blown urban war. Cops in full riot gear were beating down groups of people who didn't appear to be phased at all. They fired gas canisters into the streets, but they kept coming. More scenes of violence flashed across the screen. Police men unloading their weapons on hordes of people. Buildings on fire, car crashes at every intersection. People eating other people. It was terrifying, but Jake couldn't take his eyes off all of the destruction.
"The violence that started on Monday has escalated to a point that local authorities are having trouble keeping any sort of order," the reporter announced. "The RPD has taken extreme measures to try and quell what the president has called "senseless and bloody riots", including enforcing a curfew for all citizens, instituting a temporary but controversial shoot first ask later policy, and setting up a quarantine encompassing the entirety of the Raccoon City district. All persons living in the surrounding areas are advised to stay away from the Raccoon City limits."
"That's right, Kermit," another reporter chimed in. "We've just gotten word that the National Guard around Raccoon City is being relieved by Umbrella Corporation's own special force task group. No one can get in or out of the city at this time." Jake couldn't believe it. His heart beat a thousand beats a minute as he raced up the stairs, his stomach was twisting itself in tight knots. He hoped Carol was all right. His computer screen displayed several new messages.

raccoongurl14: what? you can't be serious!
raccoongurl14: don't you know what's happening?
raccoongurl14: Jake?
raccoongurl14: are you there?

Jake got on his computer and began typing furiously.

homerunner83: are you all right Carol?

A minute passed by and Jake still didn't get a response. Every second seemed more like an hour to him, but eventually, Carol answered.

raccoongurl14: I'm fine

Jake breathed a sigh of relief.

homerunner83: that's good to know
raccoongurl14: I'm scared Jake. Who's going to protect me?
homerunner83: are you safe where you are?
raccoongurl14: I don't kow. Rita called and told me to lock the door
raccoongurl14: I moved the couch in front of it just in case
homerunner83: just keep yourself safe. Help should be along soon
raccoongurl14: I don't know...
homerunner83: what do you mean?
raccoongurl14: all the people outside, they don't look normal at all. They seem more like monsters, like zombies

Zombies? That reminded Jake of a report he saw on the internet awhile ago by some reporter guy named Ben. He had gone undercover and dug up some dirt on the Umbrella Corporation and their secret agenda, which included the creation of some type of biological weapon.

raccoongurl14: omg, I can hear Mr. Randles from down the hall
raccoongurl14: he's screaming. I can't take it! It sounds like he's being ripped apart
homerunner83: try to keep quiet, maybe whatever's out there won't hear you
raccoongurl14: I can hear them. they're all moving around out in the hall
raccoongurl14: I'm so scared Jake
homerunner83: I know. I wish I was there to protect you, I really do
raccoongurl14: Thanks Jake
raccoongurl14: omg! They're right at my door! They're going to break in!

Shit! Jake's thoughts raced as he strained to come up with an idea to save Carol. There was probably no where she could hide in a small apartment, at least no where where she wouldn't be found in a few seconds. Then an idea came to him. If these things really were zombies, then they probably weren't that smart.

homerunner83: Carol, do you know Mr. Randles' number?
raccoongurl14: what?
homerunner83: do you know his phone number?
raccoongurl14: yes, let me think
raccoongurl14: it's 312-4437
homerunner83: I'll be right back

Jake ran downstairs in a flash and snatched the cordless phone from the wall. He dashed back upstairs and dialed the number on his computer screen. The phone rang once, twice, then Mr. Randles' answering machine came on.
"You've reached Michael Randles. I'm busy at the moment so please leave a quick message after the tone." Jake shuddered at the thought of Mr. Randles' preoccupation. The beep came, and Jake set the phone down next to his boom box. He played whatever CD was in at full volume. Crunchy guitar riffs boomed from the speakers. Jake just hoped Mr. Randles' answering machine was turned on loud enough for the music to get through. He went back to the computer.

raccoongurl14: they quit pounding on the door
raccoongurl14: I can hear music coming from outside
homerunner83: yeah, I'm playing some music through your neighbor's answering machine
raccoongurl14: thanks Jake
homerunner83: yeah
homerunner83: do you have somewhere you can hide?
raccoongurl14: um, I don't know. There's not really anywhere
homerunner83: dammit
homerunner83: there's no where at all?
raccoongurl14: there's only the bathroom and my sister's room

Jake had to find a way to save Carol, he just had to. They had gotten to know each other so well, he couldn't just let it end like this.

homerunner83: does your sister have any book cases or anything?
raccoongurl14: yeah, there's right by her room
homerunner83: you're going to have to try and block yourself in the room
raccoongurl14: what? I don't know if I can move it...
homerunner83: you're going to have to try
raccoongurl14: okay, I'll be right back

He waited for what seemed like an eternity. What could be taking her so long, he thought. I really hope she'll be able to do this. About five minutes passed by before Jake really started to get worried. Maybe the sound of her dragging the bookcase had attracted the attention of the monsters outside her door. Maybe he had unknowingly sealed her fate, lead her to her death.

homerunner83: Carol?

No response. Jake waited another minute, the tension inside him had built up so much that he began to shake with fear.

homerunner83: Carol, are you all right?

Nothing. She was in trouble, he knew it. Then,

raccoongurl14: I'm here. Sorry for the waithomerunner83: don't ever scare me like that
raccoongurl14: sorry. I had to throw all the books off of the bookcase to make it lighter. the monsters were at my door again, so they scared the shit out of me
homerunner83: do they know you're in there?
raccoongurl14: no, I don't think so
raccoongurl14: I pushed the bookcase as close to the doorway as I could but left some room for me to get in, then I grabbed my laptop and ran into the room, and pulled it the rest of the way
raccoongurl14: they broke through the front door right after I closed the bedroom door
raccoongurl14: I can hear them walking around... they're dragging their feet, moaning. Oh god it sounds so creepy!
raccoongurl14: I really don't think they're human
homerunner83: just try to keep as quiet as you can. I'm sure help is on its way
raccoongurl14: yeah, you're probably right
raccoongurl14: I can see them outside, the monsters I mean. Their eyes are all cloudy, and they're bodies are like falling apart, decomposing even as they trudge along, looking for someone, anyone to eat
homerunner83: you need to calm down Carol
raccoongurl14: I'm sorry, I'm just so scared. They're right outside my door! Why won't they just leave?
homerunner83: you'll be safe Carol, I promise. That bookshelf should stop them from getting through the door
raccoongurl14: I hope so
raccoongurl14: dammit! I left the battery charger on the couch
homerunner83: how much battery power do you have left
raccoongurl14: ...not much
raccoongurl14: hey, whenever I get out of here, I would really like it if you came down here to visit me
homerunner83: yeah, I'd like that too
raccoongurl14: listen, I know you might think I'm weird for saying this, but I love you Jake

raccoongurl14 has signed off.

Jake stared at his computer screen blankly. She was gone, with no one to assure her everything would be okay. All Jake could do now was sit and pray that the mess in Raccoon City would soon be fixed. Jake closed his eyes, fighting back the tears flowing from his eyes, and laid his head on his desk. He hoped with all his heart that she would be okay, that someone would come and rescue her from the hell she was hiding from, that he would be able to see her tomorrow or the day after or whenever he wanted and be able to embrace her and tell her how he felt about her.

"I love you, too."