AWAKENING

Chapter Three: The Town

I've been walking for about two days now. I haven't seen any raiders or screechers yet. That scares me a little more than it should. I haven't slept yet, but there is a town two hours away from my current position. It was the same town in which Sam was executed by those damn raiders. Hopefully I can get some rest there, hopefully.

My legs started to feel numb from all the walking, maybe I should sit down for a bit. I found a fallen tree stump and laid my bag against the tree. I sat down and leaned by back against the stump and spread my legs outwards. I checked my .44 Remington Magnum, I had two shots left in it and only thirty one rounds left in total. I reloaded the weapon and put it by my right leg. My eyes grow heavier every minute and soon I was asleep.

I woke up about five hours later to the haunting howl of the screecher. It was close, and it wasn't alone. I looked around for a climbable tree. I found one and picked up my bag quietly and my gun and walked towards the tree. I was almost there when I heard the heavy breathing of something in the dark. It was right behind that tree, waiting for me. Although it can't see and can still sense me and it knew exactly where I was and what I was doing. I slowly put my bag down and unzipped it, keeping my eyes on it. I reached in and pulled out my flashlight, and raised both my gun and flashlight and looked directly at it. It was big and dark, it's spot of fur on its shoulders blew softly in the breeze, It's mouth drooling as it smelt the meat on my body. It showed its teeth and growled at me. It positioned itself in an attacking stance and charged at me. It leaped into the air and I jumped out of the way. I raised my gun and fired at it one, two, three times. It fell to the ground and went limp. I'm not taking any chances and went over and shot it point blank another three times. I backed up away from the corpse. I looked around waiting for another one of those monsters.

I walked around the corpse and started to let my mind wonder. I dropped to my knees out of breath. I looked around at the treeline. "COME AND FUCKING KILL ME!" I yelled as I broke down crying next to the corpse. "COME ON NOW!" I hit the ground with my fists. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?". I sat there on my knees for five minutes, regaining my strength, I got up and grabbed my gun and holstered it. I wiped my eyes and continued towards the town. I felt a slight headache but it quickly faded.

There was a hill I had to get over to reach the town, at the top stood the water tower. As I reached the top memories started flooding in my mind and my head started to hurt a little. I held my forehead as the pain shot through my body. My hands started to feel really warm, I brought them down and looked at them. The veins in my hands seemed to be pulsating a bright red. I freaked out and flipped my hand around, all my veins are doing it. My head started to hurt even more. I feel to my knees and held my hand yelling in pain. My hands felt like they were on fire. I looked at my legs and body, It's only on my arms. The heat grew even more. I heard a screecher off to my right. I looked over in that direction and saw it charging at me. I raised my hands in a panic and braced for impact. As soon as I lifted my hands the heat disappeared along with my headache and a bright red flame shot from my hand and sent it flying backwards killing it instantly.

I sat there shaking as I examined my hand. "What the hell was that?" I looked up at the scorched body and the burn mark on the ground. I slowly got up, holding my right hand, and walked over to the body. It was burned to the bone, basically nothing left. I looked at the treeline behind it, all the trees were scorched and only a few stood. I looked at my hands again and then looked back up and turned around. I need to learn to control it otherwise I might burn this whole damn town down.

I had reached the main road of the old ghost town, everything was still, frozen in time. It had been years since I've been here. I pretty much avoided this place after her execution. I walked slowly up the main road, watching every corner, waiting for an attack. I crept slowly to an old shop on the corner, hopefully I can find some food. I reached the shop. The main door was still there but the class has long since shattered, I peered in and glanced around. There were four isles of shelves, there were some canned food left but not much, I looked up, the ceiling looked liked it was ready to cave in from the weight of the ashes on the roof. I opened the door and stepped in. I walked over the middle isle and froze. About four feet in front of me I saw something. It was hunched over a corpse. At first I thought it was a Screecher, but no, this was something else. I stepped back slowly but the floor beneath me creaked as I tried backing away. It stopped what it was doing and slowly stood up, but it was too tall to fully stand in the store. It had long arms as long as my body in height, It had long legs, about the same length. It had a human had but it was rotting away and it had black eyes and sharp teeth and no nose.

I unholster my gun and slowly raise it as I backed away towards the door. It followed me all the way to the door just watching with interest. I made it to the door and out of the store and onto the main road again. It slipped its tall body out of the door and stood all the way up. It looked at me and tilted its head. Then let out a blood chilling scream. It sounded like a woman and baby screaming together. More appeared all around me. "What the hell?" I said as I looked around. I thought for a second and lowered my gun. They all slowly approached as if they were scared and curious. I put away my gun and got on my knees. I felt my head start to hurt, and flashes of the past started hitting me like punches from a heavyweight boxer. I looked at my hands, my veins were glowing red again. I stood up and held my arms at my side, and clenched my hands into fists. An aurora of pure heat and energy formed around both fists. My fear turned into anger and I looked at the herd of the slender monsters. I picked my target and raised my hand and opened up my clenched hand. A bolt of red lightning shot from my hand in an instant, a loud crack and bang was heard as the monster exploded from the lightning. I stood there a second and lowered my hand. I looked around, I need a new tactic because I can't pick them off one by one. I then got an idea that would wipe out the whole town, but would ultimately save my life. I got on one knee and held my arms to my chest, I tightened my body into itself, curling up. Bolts of energy shot out of my in random directions. My body started to hurt as I put stress on myself. I then suddenly stood up opening my arms and a huge wave of energy and heat shot out and leveled the town. I fell to my knees and tried to catch my breath. I fell to one hand and coughed up blood and fell to my back. "That was a great idea," I said as I passed out.