The Crossing Dawn

IV. Trouble in Paradise

The plastic bottle rolled onto my foot, almost as if someone deliberately rolled it down the deserted hill. I picked it up, and rather than being wrapped with the branding, it was wrapped with a badly torn piece of paper reading:

"For anyone in need."

Water. I decided to save it for later, so I tucked it in my backpack and continued on with my "expedition." The city that was once home to many looked long-lost, so I decided to move on to the countryside. I followed the plains alongside my destroyed town. As the dead weeds became more conspicuous, so did the apparent rumbling that I heard in the bushes. Now, grass tends to grow while untreated, so you could have guessed these shrubs were as tall as I was. The sound crept closer to my ear, as whoever, or whatever, was approaching me was gaining velocity. I drew my dagger and withdrew from the main road.

It was a goddamned horse.

I was presented with two options. The first one was to kill this animal, then eating its corpse. This would provide me with food for several days, provided I find a way to cook it. The second option was to tame the beast, and in return, become able to travel much more efficiently.

I mounted the horse. It neighed as I reached for the neck and stabbed it three times in smooth motions. I made an incision on the central abdomen as I peeled back on both sides. I made sure that a cut was in place from the head all the way down to the genitals. I removed the musk glands and cut the windpipe and gullet near the base of the skull. This gave me the cue to remove essential organs. The intestines were first. I pulled for what seemed like days, but I finally moved on to the heart. After most of the organs were extracted, I made a clear cut of raw meat as I took it. After taking all I could, I placed the crude meat inside of my bag.

It was an unpleasant experience, but two years of medical school didn't end up being useless after all. I ventured into the bushes and followed the path that the horse charged at me from, only to find yet another plain with several horses eating the olive coffee-colored pasture. I reached for my knife again as I felt the barrel of a handgun pushing against my skull.

"Make a move and I'll wipe you out." The voice came from a male.

"Put the knife away, nice and slowly, and raise your arms." The man continued.

In a state of panic, I foolishly tried to resist and stab him, only to be met with a whip across my lower abdomen from the gun. I don't know how I managed to stay up. The man placed the weapon back on my head.

"This is a .50 caliber revolver I'm aiming at you." He said as I could hear the pistol clicking as he pressed softly on the trigger. "Play your cards wrong, and you will die." He added.

"Do you always threaten the people you meet?" I said in a sarcastic tone, instantly regretting it.

"No, I kill them. Consider yourself lucky. You will talk only when you are told to. Now put your hands up." The man grew impatient, and I gave in and put my arms up, elbow just slightly above my head. He then proceeded to tie them with a knot.

"Your mouth. Put this on." Said the man, carrying a roll of tape as I was forced to oblige.

"Walk."

And so I walked. My brain was flooded with all sorts of thoughts. I now knew there were others in this godforsaken land, but this man was something else. His voice was distinctive. Sounded almost robotic. I never got a chance to look at his face, which made me feel unnerved. Throughout the trip, he remained quiet. The only sounds to be heard were our constant footsteps. I felt heat coming from the muzzle as he persistently guided me from behind with the gun. "Has this dude used this recently?" I thought to myself. It felt like eons as I continued walking, which let me know that this man was not all the way out here just to admire the view. Finally, we saw a gate. It looked like... civilization. Another man greeted me at the gate.

"Dave, you need to stop bein' so damn relentless!"

"Rick, you know precaution is an important step to take. It's what helps us live another day." Dave replied to the mysterious man.

Yeah, yeah. Take his tape off." Said Rick as Dave removed my restraints.

"I apologize for my friend here. Y'know, ever since th' world went to shit, we've been having a real hard time survivin', and so we've had to take a few measures here and there. But I'm sure you understand, right?" Said Rick as he saw me from above.

"Why did the world die? Everything is fucked." I said, shaking at the sound of the dark ambience surrounding this fort.

"Rick, remember the code of etiquette. We don't talk to our prov unless it's necessary." Said Dave before Rick had a chance to answer me.

"Right, sorry 'bout that." Responded Rick. "Infuse the shaft on him." He added.

Dave slowly drew what looked like a dart and stuck it in my neck. Before I got a chance to react, I fell into a deep sleep.