Days Of Dust

Chapter 15

At night the streets were as harsh and unforgiving as a desert; the first rule was; one wrong move and you were dead. The second rule of the streets was; safety in numbers. Nathan had quickly learnt both of these rules and found a group of kids that had taken shelter at Lennard's Fish & Chips. They had barricaded the front entry with barbed wire and thick planks of wood that they had found out the back of the shop. As Nathan approached slowly, a boy about his age, stepped out from behind a small guard box.

"Come no closer or else."

The boy was holding a revolver and aiming it at Nathan.

"Please let me in. I have no food or shelter but I can be of use to you, I know the town really well and some people I knew had crazy ideas about hoarding canned food and weapons before the disaster even struck."

The boy's arm wavered, only for a second but it was enough for Nathan to notice.

"I'm not supposed to let anyone in, we barely have enough food for ourselves and can't take anyone in, I'm sorry."

Nathan shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't take no for an answer."

The boy called for help as Nathan reached into his backpack. Three more teenagers appeared next to the boy, each on carrying a plank or bat with nails in the end. Nathan smiled at their crude weapons and finally pulled out his dad's AK-47. The kids gasped, their faces were masks of fear.

"Please let me in, I don't want this to get messy."

The boy regained his composure and angrily raised his gun again,

"Who do you think you-" He didn't get to finish his sentences as a spray of bullets ripped through his middle body, showering the other kids and the side of the shop in his blood.

"Is there anyone else who wants to leave me out here or do you all agree that I can come in?"
It didn't take long for Nathan to establish routine and order to his new group, he used fear to control them. If someone broke a minor rule, they missed out on food for the day, but if they broke a major rule like taking extra food or trading with other groups that weren't part of Nathan's allies, they were executed in front of the whole group. Nathan had ordered makeshift gallows to be constructed; any who objected would be the first to test it out. Eventually everyone learnt to stop disobeying the rules and they formed a better team. They ruled the streets around the shop and were scavenging plenty of food for everyone. One night, Nathan was having a shower when one of the younger boys walked in on him. The boy screamed at the sight of the gleaming pink scar where a grown-up had bitten his side.

"GET OUT!" Nathan roared.

The boy ran, tears running down his face. Nathan sighed and took a look at his scar, it was looking worse; veins bulged around scar, it looked badly infected. The day after, word had got out about his scar and Nathan ordered that he'd execute anyone who spoke about it; a snobby kid called Clinton laughed and said Nathan was just a little kid that didn't like being bullied. Nathan smiled at Clinton then rushed forwards with his army knife and slashed at Clinton until he was just a bloody, sobbing mess.

"I'm sorry!" he cried.

Nathan laughed, "I know you are, but there's just this one little thing I don't like." He said in a mockingly sweet voice.

"Little brats that don't listen to what they're told should be killed, shouldn't they? No, they should be tortured slowly and painfully. If they don't then I'll end up having a group of unruly kids who all want to be in charge and then everything we've built will fall apart."

Clinton looked up at Nathan, who laughed at the scared look on his face. Nathan's eyes reflected something beyond evil, it was madness. That night screams echoed through the cold air, then as suddenly as they had started, they ceased and were replaced by hysterical laughter.