Time

III

When I woke the next morning I took a quick glance around the room. Scratch that, I took a glance around the forest. The ground was still wet from the morning dew and the sky was still dark of the early morning.  'Wait, I fell asleep in my bedroom. How did I end up out here?' I thought as I racked my brain for an answer. I looked at myself and I was in nothing and little leathery green scales appeared all over my body, no longer just on the tips of my hands and feet.

"Well this is fantastic." I said with sarcasm as I tried to get a grip on what to do. This wasn't the first time I had been stripped down to literally nothing. The first time it happened  I was trying to help a boy who was escaping from his master. He was a slave. After I had helped him get away I had fallen asleep and when I awoke I was striped of everything. Bastard.

This time seems no different. I'll just have to get crafty. 

After wandering for about an hour I found what I was looking for. The land marks were the same but the building to be as not there yet and probably wouldn't for another 20 years or so. 

I managed to dig up the chest hidden in the ground and brake the lock open with my new claws. Inside was a .44 magnum, army helmet and uniform, and two full .44 ammo boxes. I knew this chest was here because I had stumbled across this area before, well you know. I put it on and holstered the .44 . 

I Knew a prewar town was not far from here so I could use that information to figure out where the library was. I could read and not many in the wasteland could claim the same. I was self taught after AI had to hold up in a prewar library for a winter. 

Reaching the town I headed for the bar. If there's any place to get information the local watering hole will almost always work. people that are intoxicated tend to let slip important information. Taking a seat close to the bar I kept my eyes down. 

"What can I get you today sir?" The female behind the bar asked as she served another customer.

"I'd like something hard. I'm also looking for something. You may be able to help me look." I said quietly as she walked over.

She began to make the drink and leaned over the bar. "What do you need help finding?"

"I have been lead to believe that there are wolves in the area. Can you point me in the right direction?" I asked smoothly as she added some more liquor to the mix.

"If you're not going to hunt them, then yes. Just to the west about 5 miles from here." She finished the suicide and  placed it on the bar.

"I'm not here to hunt. Thank you." I put 20 on the bar and downed the drink. Probably was not the best idea. My vision swirled for a moment then righted itself. I left the bar and went to the library. 

Opening the door the smell of books hit my nose and I inhaled deeply. 

"How may I help you today sir?" The librarian asked from behind the desk staring at a computer screen. I kept my head down.

"I just want to look at some information. Do you have anything on mythology?" I asked as I walked closer to the main desk.

"Yes, up the stairs and to the left. should be easy to find." The librarian said without looking up. I walked to where she said they would be and began my search for more information. 

two hours later I had learned nothing more than what I already knew but I did find an old territory map of the north american packs dated from 1910, not much help.

I walked back out into the forest and slumped down with my back against a tree. I let out a long sigh. 

"This was never supposed to be this hard. Verdammt*" I looked down to the ground and pulled up my shirt where the three claw marks had been. 

"This is all your fault you stupid animal! Like my life wasn't hard enough!" I elbowed the tree behind me and where I hit it it splintered into small bits.

"I want to teach you how to control your strength but it seems you don't need it." A deep voice said from behind me. It sounded like someone was speaking with rocks in their mouths.

Turning around was a small deathclaw, not a baby but not an adult. 

"How can you be here? You're not conceived for another 20 years. You can't be real!" I fell back down and scooted back to try to get away while maintaining eye contact. 

"You cannot get rid of me if I am you. I am in your head. The radiation has changed you and you will be one of us in time. I am as much of you as you are me. Your mind created me to help you cope with whats happening behind what you can see." It said as it continued to come towards me.

"No, This can't be." I tried to deny what in my head I knew was true. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You went into deathclaw territory and paid the price. Now accept it." It roared and then charged at me and I put my hands in front of my face. 

After what seemed like hours I dropped my hands and nothing was around. The birds were silent and not even the wind made a sound making the forest eerie in the day light. 

I sat there on the forest floor thinking. 'Why did I go to the glowing sea inset of a settlement? Why didn't I join a settlement and work? Why do I try to help those I come across? Why am I me?' I mulled over this and my mind went to my late sister.

At the age of 10 and 8 My older sister used to treat me not as a sister but as a friend. I looked up to my sister. We had been walking through a dense forest somewhere in what was Missouri. There was a river close by and we walked along it. We heard barking in the distance and we ran. The barking came closer and closer and then we came to a cliff.

"I love you. Always show kindness to others. I know you will. I will always be with you." She pushed me off and ran the other direction to lead them away from me as I fell into a larger river.

I tried for 3 years to find those who hurt my sister and to find my sister. Only to come up with nothing.

My thoughts wandering back to the present I looked around and heard the faintest of foot steps starting to surround me. I sat up slowly and looked to see if I could spot what ever was going to attack me. 

*Damn*