The Nuclear Frontier

Chapter 6

I woke up early to the sound of someone knocking on the door of my cabin. I grabbed one of my pistols and cautiously opened the door to find that it was a woman, and a good looking one at that.

I opened the door and invited her in.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Crystal." She replied.

"Ok, and what are you doing here?" I questioned.

"I..I..I wandered too far," She stammered. "and i can't find my way back."

"Sorry about my manners, i don't get many visitors, of the friendly sort that is."

"Its ok, i understand after all you do live all the way back here."

"Well, I am going to town in a few days anyway so if you want i could take you then but not before because i have a lot of work to do before i can leave."

"That sounds just fine." She said happily "In the meantime, is. There anything i can do to help?" She asked.

"Nothing i can think of at the moment, unless you know how to sew."

"I can sew really well, what needs mending?"

"A shirt i rilped a couple of days ago. Oh, i almost forgot, my name is Jack. It's nice to meet you Crystal."

"You can call me Chris." She said.

" well I'm off to fix Fang's lot. Just make yourself at home and if you don't mind, put on some breakfast please."

"Will do, Jack"

And then i went to work. As i walked towards fang's lot, she started speaking to me.

So...?

" 'So' what?" I asked.

So do you like her?

"I just met her a little while ago, I haven't even had any time to get to know her. I don't even know if she is in a relationship."

Well you should atleast try to get know her.

"She is only going to be here for a few days."

We will see.

"We will see that nothing happens.

"Breakfast is ready." Said Chris from the front door.

As I left fangs lot, i heard Fang say something.

You will see young one.

When i got back in the cabin, crystal started talking to me.

"I hope you like biscuits and gravy." She said.

"I do." I said as she put a plate of buscuits and a bowl of gravy on the table.

"Thank you for lettin me stay with you untill you can take me back to town." She said

"It's no problem crystal," I said. "In fact i think you have more than made up for it with this amazing breakfast."

She started blushing. "It..

It's nothing." She said

For the first time in what felt like years, i actually smiled. This woman had actually made me smile. Maybe Fang was right after all. No, that's impossible, well it was.

Was it true, was i really falling in love, me of all people? Me, the monster, falling in love? 'No, im just imagining this' I thought. But was I?

I quickly pushed the thought from my mind and went back to work on Fang's lot. Then i heard Fang's voice in my head.

Told you so. She said.

"No, it's not like that." She said.

You shouldn't lie to me, and especially not to yourself. She said.

"I am not lying to you or to myself!" I said.

Ok, I will stop. She said.

I finished the last of my work in silence. A silence that niether one of us dared to break.

After my work was done I decided to apologize to Fang.

"Ims sorry, i didn't mean to snap at you like that." I said.

it's ok, i shouldn't have kep on like that. She said.

Then i left her lot and headed toward my cabin. When i open the door, i see Crystal looking at my collection of books. She wasn't paying much attention so I decided to sneak up on her.

"You can read one if you want to." I said.

"Eeeeep." She squealed. "I didn't hear you come in."

"That was the point, and as i said before, you can read one if you want."

"Really? You would let me read one?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you so much, I have never seen this many books in one place, books from before the blast I mean."

"These books are my most valuable possessions. I spent years collecting them.

"I think i will read one tomorrow, i need to make dinner." She said

"No, you made breakfast, I will make dinner."

"I insist you let me cook." She said.

"Fine, Iwill let you cook." I said "but i still don't think it's right."

"I can atleast cook to pay you back for helping me."

That was the best meal i have ever had, but i couldn't stop thinking about fang. What if she was right?

I slept on the floor that night and gave Crystal the bed. All the while i was laying there, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I started to wonder about whether Fang was right or not. As I wondered why this woman made me feel the way I did, why she had made me smile. My mind was still in a tumble when sleep finally overcame me.