Broken World Book 1 - The On Coming Storm

19

The sun shines above me as I trudge on the same path, I've been doing this every day for another week now, and I'm going to get water. The annoying thing about this place is that there is only one place where the water is, and it's where the vines grow. That is all the way up in the southernmost corner. My feet kick up dust as I make my way over to the vineyard and I sigh. Everything is down to a dull routine (not that is a bad thing). I go get water walk aimlessly around and that's about it. There isn't anything special about this place, and if anything, this is where you put someone to drive them insane. Are they trying to do that with me? No, that wouldn't make any sense, at least, I think. It all depends on the nature of the experiment.

The air still smells like soap, and air freshener but I've gotten used to it by now. At first it was bewildering to me, but now it is just another strange thing in this strange world. I look around me and all I see are trees. Their trunks are strong and bulky, and they are all dark brown. But every tree is unique in their own way. The tree over to my right forms a circle in two of their branches. And another on my left is more like a bush than an actual tree. Everything is different from the rest, there is diversity here which leads me to believe that the Stalkers understand what individuality is. If they have the basic understanding that is diversity in everything then they must understand what individuality is but ignore it.

I arrive at the vineyard, and everything slows. The hairs on the back of my neck, and on my arms lifts through the stagnant air. The red haze returns to the edges of my vision, and every detail is pitch clear as I stand here looking around. I draw my knife and hold it out in front of me before I continue to walk. I am defensive and ready to act if necessary. My eyes are darting everywhere, and I can feel sweat forming on my brow as I scan the vegetation for any signs of life. Nothing, I think. I turn around to make sure that no one is behind me, and this is where the world freezes. The trees stop moving, and the hot air seems to go up to a broil as I scope the area, but again there is nothing. Strange. The knife falls to my side, and something comes screeching out of the woods.

My eyes land on the bloody creature. It's flailing arms and pits for eyes. The skin around its mouth has completely rotten away and I can see each and every tooth in perfect detail. I impulsively put a bounce in my step as I evaluate the creature. Then four more follow, and I say, "oh shit." I turn around and begin to run. I barely survived three without being bit; I don't know if I can survive five. Then something slams into me and I'm thrown to the ground.

I maneuver over quickly to where I'm faced by the horrid creature, and I raise my hands up to protect my face form it. Searing pain spreads through my arm almost making me scream. It bit me. I jerk my arm back, and thrust my leg up slamming into it. I fling the mutant off me and I stand. All five of the bloody creatures are around me in a circle as I glare at them. I raise the knife up. It's my right arm that's been bitten. I can see the unruly bite mark as I raised my arm. I slide into a fighting stance, and my feet dig into the ground slightly.

We stand there like that for a while each moment sliding into an eternity until one finally charges. Its arms flailing at its sides and its maw opens as it releases a hideous screech. I smirk as it comes running up at me. I can feel its feet slam into the uneven ground, and at the last second, I put the spring back into my step. I leap forward and slash the blade up, and from the force of my blow mixed form the mutants running it flips completely over me. My feet dig into the dirt as I get on my knees and slide beneath it. I jump up as I feel the thundering of the next one as it advances, and I pivot on my heel. I bolt forward and slit its throat, and blood flies in a spray.

I turn around with this wild look in me eyes, and a snarl on my face. The knife is at my side and dripping with the scarlet liquid. I roar, it's a yell of aggression, anger, and hate. I flip the knife in anticipation and in impatience. Then I decide to make the next move. I start running at the central mutant. I slash and pivot to attack the next one, and one of them jumps on me from behind. It tries to claw out my eyes as I shove my elbow back into it and break its arm. It screeches, and charges again. I slide nimbly out of the way, and the two remaining mutants collide into each other and fall in a tangle of limbs. I draw the knife back above both of their heads and slam it down through their skulls. They scream one last time them go limp, and after that turn to dust and ash.