NEW BEGINNINGS??
1222 Words
I woke up the next day to the sound of clanging metal. The technology guy was already working in his lab, sparks flying from his tools as if he hadn’t slept at all. I passed by silently.
“I made hot water for you,” he said without looking up. “Enjoy it while it lasts. Might be the last day you have it.”
I glanced through the broken window. Steam curled lazily from a steel bucket placed over a fire made from broken furniture and old wires. The rain had just stopped.
Outside, the ground was wet and earthy. I carried the bucket to a large bowl he’d left out and sank into it, letting the heat kiss my tired skin. The DIY soap rested nearby. I reached for the lavender one and started lathering up.
“So you like the lavender one, huh?” his voice cut through the air—so close, I gasped and nearly dropped the soap.
I froze. “Are you stalking me?”
“No,” he replied from behind the door. “Just asking.”
“I like the green one better,” I muttered. “Smells like herbs.”
“Herbs?” he echoed. “Figures. Nature girl.”
“Exactly.”
“Finish up. We’re heading out in five. I have things to search for.”
I stood up, water dripping down my arms. “I’ll do it for you,” I offered.
“What? No! It’s dangerous out there.”
“Come on,” I smirked. “I’ve lived alone too long. I know these creatures by scent and sound.”
He sighed, clearly unsure. But then, he got up and gave me a look. One of those long, calculating glances—the kind that says he’s assessing whether you’ll live or die.
“Fine. First assignment to check your survival skills,” he said. “But first, eat.”
He handed me a small bowl of… something. A stew of wild vegetables and something stringy.
“What is this?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Wild Wild West ratatouille,” he grinned. “Very nutritious.”
“More like ‘Lost Dead World’ ratatouille.” I shoved it in with one hand and chewed.
He blinked. “Wow. I thought ladies were supposed to be classy.”
I held out my hand. “Give me the list.”
He handed me a dusty old backpack—inside were biscuits, two water bottles, and a small flashlight.
“Wow,” I mumbled. “Luxury.”
I left him in his crumbling shelter and made my way to the edge of town. The red light from the sky burned above like a bruise. There were no clear shadows—just flat red tones, and everything smelled like scorched metal.
At the first shop, everything was stripped bare. No wheels, no tools, just broken shelves and bloodstains. I wondered if the same men who gunned us down had been here too.
I couldn’t help but think about the masked man. Did he make it out alive?
Suddenly, I sensed someone behind me. I turned sharply.
A man in tattered clothes stood there, holding a piece of old ham. His eyes were hollow, yet he shrugged and walked away silently.
I shivered. “I hope the red light hasn’t made people start killing each other yet,” I whispered. “I’m too damn precious to die.”
My mind wandered. Crystal… I hope you're still alive. If we find a cure, I’ll get my siblings and find you. Maybe you're still living with that kind old man... or maybe you're not.
Misha… probably still working for the company. She turned on me. Just like that. Became one of them. And now I’m stuck with a mad scientist.
I found another shop. Same story. Looted. The air stank of mold and burned oil. I had one more place to try—a warehouse far outside town. I prayed I wouldn’t run into pirates.
But fate had other plans.
Just as I reached the warehouse and packed the supplies into my bag, they came.
Three of them. Camouflage jackets, boots, armed.
“Hey lady,” one said, his icy blue eye gleaming unnaturally. “What’s a fine girl like you doing all alone?”
Panic flickered in my chest—but I swallowed it down. I’d survived worse.
“What should worry you,” I replied, “is what a girl like me is doing in here not afraid of anything.”
“Oooh,” another one laughed. “Tough girl.”
“Knock it off,” their leader growled. He stepped forward—tall, dark-haired, hazel-eyed, built like a myth. “You’re coming with us.”
They shoved me toward their vehicle.
“I really need to go,” I protested.
He smirked. “You know the company’s after the mad scientist. Not you. You’re just a tagalong.”
“Why?” I spat.
“Because he made this mess. And his head is worth a million bucks.” His voice hardened. “After a little road trip, of course.”
I watched his eyes. He was hunting the scientist. Had been for a while. That much was clear.
But I wasn’t going to let him win.
As the truck started, I leapt—straight into a pile of construction sand. My legs hit the ground hard, but I was already running.
Behind me, tires screeched. Shouts. Footsteps.
I ducked into the woods, slipping on something sticky and glowing.
“Ew—Tacs sperm?!” I gagged, but kept running.
I laughed briefly—thinking I’d made it—until strong arms wrapped around me.
“Shhh,” said the dark-skinned one.
And that was it. They found me.
They brought me to the mad scientist.
His eyes met mine—betrayal clouding his face. “What’s going on?”
“You,” said the hazel-eyed leader, stepping forward. “Finally. I never thought I’d see you in person.”
“Kannon,” he said, holding out a hand. “Black and blue eye. And of course, your lady here.”
“They ambushed me,” I cried.
“What do you want, Kannon?” the scientist asked, cold.
“We just want to talk.”
“Not here,” the scientist said firmly.
“If you don’t—?”
“We’ll kneel and beg,” Kannon grinned. “Killing you isn’t the plan.”
“Just that Miss Smarty Pants wasted our energy,” one of the guys snorted.
“Fine,” the scientist said. “I’ll come with you. She stays.”
“Hey!” I objected. “I’m not staying behind.”
“No. She stays here doing whatever she can… until she dies,” Kannon said, deadpan.
They forced us into their jeep and drove to a massive abandoned military base.
Jeep trucks, stolen weapons, and the faint sound of a radio crackling somewhere.
Inside the leader’s office, we sat down on a cracked leather couch.
I stared at the room—mounted deer head, polished guns, maps on the wall.
“So this is where all the good things went,” I whispered.
“And the ugly ones too,” Blue Eyes said, pointing at the deer skull.
- Writer
