Apocalyptic Liberty

Lucy

"...and I will take the glowing passage," said Alexander who is now 23 years old. He watched as his army of hooded rogues went out to fulfill their missions. Alexander walked out of the apocalyptic run down Whitehouse. Once outside he pulled up his black hood. He headed east, toward the ocean. The area in that direction was called the glowing passage because a missile silo went off there during the time of the war. The land there was still infested with radiation and beast that is not like many other places in the U.S.

Alexander had never sent anyone out into the passage out of fear of them not returning. He had no fear for himself, however. He had never worried about his own safety and was also confident in his ability. To keep the radiation from affecting him he filled his steel-mate with vials of anti-rad medication. A steel-mate was a pack of glass vials connected to your waist that had tubes that led to your veins and flesh tissues.

Alexander ran through the wasteland, picking up some useful things like medicine and ammo. He didn't run into much danger except a few claw-tooth moles. They were no where near too difficult for Alexander to kill.
He kneeled down and started to rummage through a chest. He picked the lock easily and started to search. As he was moving things around he herd a female scream followed by a squawk from a wasteland bird. He jerked his head up so quick that his hood fell off.

He ran toward the sound to eventually find a young 6 year old girl sitting on top of a table as the flightless birds pecked at her bear feet. Alexander shot one of the birds and instantly killed it. The other two ran toward him. He killed another one before it even got close to him and managed to kill the last one as it hit his shin.

He started to relax when a flying bird came around to attack. He dodged it just in time. He quickly fired, but missed. "My one weakness just has to be birds," said alexander. The creature came back and hit him in the stomach and then the arm. The two hits knocked him on the ground. The bird came diving down for one more blow at his face, Alexander managed to kill the bird by firing with his one good arm.

The little girl jumped off the table and ran toward him. "Are your ok?" she asked.

Alexander pulled out a cigarette and responded, "I'll be fine."

"You shouldn't do that. Smoking is bad for you," she said upset at his habit.

"Fighting birds is also bad for you," he said. She gave him a pouty look. "Why are you out here anyways girl."

"I..." she said before stopping out of fear.

A drunk man stumbled out from behind the one still standing wall of a destroyed building. "You should've let her die. It's her fault for dropping her knife."

"I dropped it while trying to climb away from the monsters," she said.

"Oh and who is this asshole?" asked Alexander getting off the ground.

The man was obviously eaten away from radiation because of his lack of hair and rotten skin patches. "I'm her daddy. Now get over here girl."

Before she could move Alexander rested his hand on her shoulder holding her back. The girl started to speak, "Are you going to punish me?"

The man responded "Of course, you couldn't even defend yourself."

Alexander held on to the girl tighter. She asked her dad a question, "Is my punishment a beating or getting touched in that... spot?"

Alexander could feel the fear in her heart through its beat in her shoulder. An angry look took over his straight face. "Hey little girl, take this bandana and cover your eyes, and don't even think about lifting it off. Got it?"

She nodded her head and covered her eyes. He limped over to the man. Once close enough he pulled his knife and slit his throat. "Maybe we should've all been destroyed," he said in disgust. He then proceeded to take the mans body around the wall to hide it. He then walked back to the girl and told her it's okay to remove the rag.

"Where did my daddy go?" she asked.

"You're getting a new one."

"Where, and who will it be?"

"I don't know," he said getting on his knee and removing his tube of anti- rad medication. He wiped it on the bandana to clean it. "Can you let me see your arm?" he asked the girl.

"Mmmhm," she hummed while shaking her head to agree.

Alexander could tell she had not been in the radiation too long because her skin wasn't burning hot. "This might hurt a little, but it's to help you," he said putting the needle in her skin to heal some of her rads.

Alright now let's get out of here. She started to walk, but quickly began to let out little squeaks of pain. Alexander looked at her naked feet walking on the hard ground. "Come here a moment," he said. When she walked up to him, he picked her up and put her on his shoulders.

As they were walking back the girl started to ask Alexander questions. "What's your name?"

"Alexander."

"What's your full name?"

"Alexander Locke Marie."

"Marie's a pretty name."

Alexander rolled his eyes. He hated it when people acknowledged his last name.

"Where are we going?"

"My home in a camp of mine."

"Who's there?"

"The army I lead."

She blushed before asking the next question. "Will...will you be my new daddy?"

"No," he said almost instantly.

"Why not?" she begged him.

"I don't think I'm ready to have a kid."

"I'll be good. Oh please! I didn't like my last daddy and you seem nice, so why not?"

"I said no, but there are plenty of people at my camp that would be perfect for you."

"No! I want you."

"Hey it's my turn to ask questions."

"Fine," she said rolling her eyes.

"So what is your name?"

"I never got one."

"Ah dammit," Alexander said under his breath. "Fine I'll be your new dad."

"Oh yay! I won't let you down."

"I guess I should give you a name," he thought for a moment. "How do you like Lucy Hart Marie?"

Lucy gasped, "I love it, but why are you giving me your last name? Isn't that special to you?"

"Yes, but my daughter has to be even more special," He said as she happily rocked on top of his shoulders.