The Hope Of Humanity (Discontinued)

Chapter 2: Horses and Killers

I hid myself in the crevices of the rock as the pounding sound of hooves drew ever closer. I hear the horse stop suddenly, as the hills made it near impossible cross anywhere. I peak out over the rocks.

The man was panicking. He had dismounted from his horse a was looking around. His eyes rested on the cave, but before he could take a step towards my hiding place a shot rang out.

I looked on in horror as the man fell forward on his face, blood seeping out of a wound in his back. He had been shot through the heart.

The horse bucked and took a protective stance over the man, but he was dead. I resisted the urge to go out and calm the poor beast, but knew whoever shot the guy would most likely waste no time shooting me too.

I kept watching as the other rider grew closer. His head was wrapped in a grey cloth, and he had a sniper rifle in his hand as well as the reins to his horse. He wore goggles covering his eyes, as well as the wrap.

He dismounted and went over to the other horse. He pulled out another gun and pointed it at the poor beast's head.

"No, wait!" I yell, running out into the open. "Don't shoot him!"

The man startles and turns towards me, but quickly recovers as his gun swivels to a new target: me.

"Who in the blazes are you?" He asks. His voice was warped, probably protecting the fact about his age and gender.

"I could ask you the same. You just killed that man in cold blood!"

I see the finger on the trigger tighten. "How about get rid of the sass, kid. I'm the one with the gun. Also, I most definitely had a reason, which I won't tell you. Now I asked you a question, girl."

I stepped forward, raising my hands in surrender. "Okay, but please don't shoot. I'm probably not a threat."

"Probably?"

"Well... I... Um... I woke up... The last thing I remember is a terrorist attack and guys pushing me and my car into a river, and then I wake up in a weird bunker and California is all a wasteland?"

The man puts his gun back in his holster, and swings the rifle onto his back. He puts his hand in his pocket. "Uh, honey, you are either really stupid, a really dumb liar, or you hit your head. Everywhere is a wasteland. I'm not sure where this is. It could be California, could be Africa. No one really knows anymore. Been too long. The land is divided on whether or not it is habitable or not. Now answer my question or the gun comes out again."

I lower my hands. "AJ. The name's AJ."

He walks forward. "Well, AJ, you're lucky I didn't kill that horse. You're coming with me if you want to live, assuming you're telling the truth."

He walks back over to his horse, and I eye the other one hesitantly. I walk over slowly. It lifts its head and snorts. I reach my good hand out and pat its nose. It looks into my eyes and I look back.

"Hurry up, kid. I don't have all day. I have a leader to report to!"

I use two fingers to stroke the horse's neck. I find the saddle and have momentary confusion. I had ridden horses at fairs, but they were led on mechanisms. I always had help getting up, too.

I grabbed the reins and stepped into the place you put your foot. I hoisted myself up with a little difficulty. When I turn I see the guy looking at me. I didn't know what I expected his reaction to be. He saw straight through me.

"You've never actually ridden a horse, have you?"

I smile weakly and he groans. He leads his horse over and connects a rope from his horse to mine.

"Stay low; it keeps the dust out of your eyes better. Actually, you should wear this." He reaches into a pack on his saddle and brings out a wrapped package of something. He opens the package, revealing some goggles. I fit them on and find the wrapping is actually a bandana. I fit it around my mouth and look towards the man.

I purse my lips. "What's your name?"

"None of your concern."

I furrow my eyebrows but say nothing else.

"Where are we going?"

"Nowhere you know of, obviously. It'll take us about two days to get there, so get comfortable."

I frown, but we were already moving, and I didn't really have any options because 1. He could kill me whenever and 2. I don't know where I am or where anything is.

So we rode all the rest of the day.

When we finally made camp for the night, the man took his wrappings off.

I didn't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.

He had silver hair, with blue lines running through it. His hair was way spiky, especially since he kept it under that fabric for so long. What was even more interesting was his eyes, which were a lighter blue than his hair. His face was dirty with grease and what looked like dried blood on his neck, but I didn't inquire about it.

What was most shocking is that he was younger than me. By at least two years.

"What?" He asks harshly with a high-pitched boy voice.

"You're... Younger than expected."

"Don't kid me. You're more than meets the eye, and you aren't that old yourself, kid."

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "Where you calling me kid?"

"Well from your story sounds like you've been asleep for about five hundred years while we've been serving slave to life, hun. I have way more experience with the wasteland as well as weapons."

I nod in agreement. "I guess that is true--wait, did you say five hundred years?"

He lays a cot on the ground and sits on it, readying his rifle. "Yep. Now get your sleep, kid. We have a long day of riding tomorrow, and I doubt you'll be able to sit up straight on your horse if you don't have a full night's rest."

I nod and lay down on the cot he set out for me. Surprisingly, the night was warm. I fell asleep quickly, despite having five hundred years of sleep behind my eyes already.