Joel Chambers
(Rhymes With Cole)
Age [appearance]:
Late-teens.
Age [actual]:
Mid-twenties.
Gender:
Male.
Species:
Human.
Hair:
Very red. The brighter the light is the brighter his hair looks. Wavy. Usually keeps it buzzed or close cropped. Sideburns usually sit just below the middle of his ear.
Eyes:
Brown. Wide set. Sort of feminine, with long thin eyelashes, thought they are hard to see because they are so light in color. His eyebrows are thin, they naturally look like he keeps them tidy but has never actually done anything to them.
Frame:
5' 11" Joel has a medium build. He's gained some muscle after a year and a half at the gym. He doesn't like tight clothing and usually wear layers. Anyone who looks at him wouldn't assume he has the type of body that he does.
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks:
Joel's jaw is very square. His chin has a slight dimple. Skin is very pale. Very light colored lips. His nose is small and flat, and has a bit of a pointed tip to it. Small scar at the bottom of his chin from a fall as a child. As a child, Joel's face was covered in freckles, but as he grew older they got lighter and some disappeared all together. If you get close enough you can still make out some freckles on his nose and around his eyes.
Personality:
Joel would consider himself a people person. He is very easy to talk to, usually being the first one to start up a conversation. He has the tendency of getting attached too easily. Joel is very loyal when it comes to his family and close friends, willing to take a bullet for any of them. Some would say Joel is a natural born leader, though he would never own up to it. He strongly believes in democracy. He's willing to take lead but also doesn't mind taking a back seat if someone thinks they are better suited for the job. He tries his best not to be judgmental. He's self conscious about first impressions. Pretty open minded and level headed.
History:
Joel was born in the small mining town of Ginsberg, Washington State. He was the first born, his identical twin Jason was born 2 minutes after. Although they were identical twins, Joel had Brown eyes and Jason had green, which the doctors had never seen before. The twin boys became sort of semi celebrities around their town after news articles were released stating their interesting difference. Unfortunately the news also reported that their mother had died due to complications after their birth.
Joel and Jason were then raised by their father, Adam, a coal miner and his mother Sally, who they all lived with in her small three bedroom home. Joel had a decent childhood. His father was the only one in the family with an income, though Joel's grandmother did collect social security that helped the family stay afloat. Growing up, Joel was always the weaker twin. His brother could easily beat him in a foot race or an arm wrestling match. But the boys were very close. Jason would stick by Joel's side no matter what, never allowing him to be bullied by other boys around town.
As they got into middle school it was becoming harder for Joel to pick up new things. He struggled while he watched Jason succeed. Eventually Joel was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder.) which made it hard to focus in class. His school set him up with special teachers that were able to help him, but this only made him feel secluded and inadequate. But at the end of the day Jason was always there helping him with his homework. He started to discover that the only thing he was better at than Jason was fixing things around the house. He became sort of the handyman. Jason didn't mind, he didn't like getting his hands dirty.
As a teenager Joel got a job a Lucy's Convenience Store. It was a local store in his small town minutes away from where he lived. He only ran the cash register and occasionally stocked over nights on weekends. But it was his way of contributing to the family funds. Jason got a job coaching kids soccer.
Upon graduating high school, Joel had only gotten accepted to Community College, whereas Jason got accepted to Penn State with a soccer scholarship and was leaving for early admission that summer. It was really hard for Joel to accept that Jason was leaving home. Up until they day Jason left, they were still sharing a bedroom. His father and grandmother cried, as they put him on a bus to the airport. But Joel didn't cry until he got home and looked around the half empty bedroom. But Jason would come back every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and even for every Summer break. Joel felt complete again every time Jason came back home.
Eventually Joel's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and had to be put in a home to be better taken care of. Joel had to pick up extra hours at the store to help his dad afford the payments. School sort of took a back seat for a while.
It was the spring of 2010 when the outbreak hit hard. The infection spread so fast, no one had any clue how to control it. Joel had been the only one working at the store when he heard the announcement over the radio. The town had to be evacuated and everyone was being moved to Seattle, where the quarantine zones were set up. The Military seemed to move in within a matter of hours, searching through homes and putting people on buses. Joel locked up the store as fast as he could and ran home.
Large military vehicles were speeding down the streets and people were running in all different directions. Joel reached his house, only to discover a woman lying dead on his front lawn. She had been shot several times. On closer inspection he noticed the woman was his neighbor, she had three kids. He heard screams in the distance now as he rushed the front door screaming for his dad. There was no response. He rushed through the house, frantically searching every room. In the kitchen he noticed a large piece of ripped paper on the table. it was a note that read "Picking up Grandma. Stay Put." He wasn't sure if the note had been written before or after the Military had arrived. Joel began pacing the room; his heart beating out of his chest he was so nervous.
Suddenly he thought of Jason. He needed to know if he was OK. Joel pulled his cell phone from his pocket and frantically searched for his brothers name in the contacts. He put the phone to his ear. It rang once, than twice, it got up to 5 rings before going to voice mail. Joel cursed loudly, slamming his hands on the table. He had absolutely no clue what the hell was going on.
He waited for hours in his kitchen. The sun was just starting to set and his father hadn't returned. On top of that, Jason's phone stopped ringing and immediately went to voice mail every time Joel tried to call. Then he heard wheels crush the gravel in front of his house. Joel jumped to his feet and ran towards the front door. He was about to open the door when it was kicked in by two men dressed in camouflage, pointing guns and flashlights at him. Joel fell backwards in shock. Suddenly the two men were on him, searching his body, lifting his shirt checking for wounds. Joel was so confused. But all he asked for was his father. None of the men replied to him.
In the next instant the two men picked Joel up off the ground and started to drag him out of the house by his arms. He tried to wriggle himself free, screaming that he had to stay, that his dad was coming back. The army men pulled him through the doorway into the cool spring breeze. Joel watched as two other men with guns barged into the house to search. Joel was still writhing in the men's grip and screaming to let him go. They were dragging him to their vehicle.
What Joel saw next caused his throat to clench, halting his screams. Across the street in the front yard of a yellow house, two men were on top of a larger man, ripping at his skin and tearing him apart, forcing everything they ripped from him into their mouths. One was pulling out intestines that seemed endless. The grass was stained with a crimson red. Joel had never seen so much blood. The slurping, gurgling noises coming from across the street was horrifying. Joel couldn't seem to rip his gaze away from the gory scene. Before he knew it he was put into the large Military vehicle and driven away.
Occupation/Job:
Before the outbreak, Joel worked as a cashier at a local convenience store.
Awareness of Vampires:
Joel has no idea that Vampires exist. Though he does enjoy a good Vampire movie.
Knowledge of Zombies:
Joel doesn't know how the infection works, or when exactly the outbreak happened. But after a long trial and error period he knows going for the head takes them down the fastest.
Interesting Facts / Quirks:
People are usually surprised by Joel's deep voice, due to how youthful his face is, the voice doesn't really match. Joel has an identical twin, named Jason. The only thing different about them, appearance wise, is Jason has green eyes. Joel was a year away from graduating Community College before the outbreak. He also had strong thoughts about joining the Military. Wears his grandfather's old dog tags around his neck from WWII. Only enjoys smoking Marlboro 100's. Allergic to cats. Diagnosed with ADD as a child, which made learning in school difficult. He's had corrective eye surgery. Can barley grow facial hair.
Hobby/Hobbies:
Joel used to enjoy going to the gym. Loves to cook.
Likes:
Volleyball, the beach, Vampire movies, German Shepard puppies, small towns, coloring, smoking, TV shows.
Dislikes:
Guns, sports cars, blondes, comedy movies, school. seafood, cats, itchy clothing, cold weather.
Strength:
Joel's good with his hands. He has a knack for melee weapons (hatchets, hammers, crowbars, knives, etc.) When it comes to killing the infected he prefers to do it hand to hand.
Weakness/Flaw:
Joel is a terrible shot. He never quite picked up how to shoot a gun correctly. He can point and fire but his aim is never any good.
