The dust had a foul smell, like death. Sweat dripped down the sides of his eyebrows, dripped from his nose and onto his lips. The salty taste awoke his senses, as Vez stood panting, hands on knees. He looked past the bank, now just a foundation and rusted metal beams, bended and curved as if blocking view from the sun’s harsh gleam. Past the concaved bridge and sign reading Zone 13. He squinted too see past the brick lain graveyard, and the camp, to the hover carrier lifting off the ground and turning to head east. Vez knew it’d be the last time he’d look at these images. His eyes blinked quickly as to take it all in, to remember where he came from, and her.
My God, Cindy, he thought, How am I going to find her. He hurt knowing he left her, his stomach quenched as his heart pounded, feeling like part of him was gone. The worn escapee quickly regained his posture and stood upright, clinched fists, as too stand against an army. “I will find you” he claimed confidently to himself, no audience. He looked back around the city, not a soul in site. Faded far off squelches adverted his attention. Vez knew it was dangerous in this new world, and he knew nothing but the empty city and the camp. He had to formulate a plan, get supplies, and find Cindy, no matter what. At this very moment, standing in the ruins of the city he wanted nothing more than to hold the only thing he had left, but she was gone, taken. Where did they take her, he thought, bewildered by what had happened minutes before. He had nowhere to go, and no one to help. East, he thought, thinking of the woman in the lab coat, and the guards firing at him. The hover was out of site, Vez headed to scavenge for supplies.
Music, I hear Music. Vez was in the historic downtown district of his old city, and heard distant songs. Familiar, but too far to tell what it was. He stayed close to the walls so to not bring attention to his presence. The historic buildings were the least mutilated. They stood only half glorious but some windows still intact. He inched along a wall in the shadow of the midday sun. A window behind him filled with flowers and fake fruit. The sign read Groce, broken in half, the other half on the ground, ries. The sign made him smirk, but quickly he regained cautiousness as moans and growls from the corner he just turned. A gun shot echoed down the street. Vez slipped inside the door, the bell rung as he entered, more groans and murmering. He crouched behind the display window, only one eye peering too see the oncoming danger, he held a tazer sturdy in hand, safety off.
He was trembling, unnerved at his first hours away from safety of the camp. As his eyes redirected to the floor he shuttered, and slid up the wall to take his first stand against the cruel world. Vez turned his head, pressed his cheek against the cold brick wall. Two men popped from around the corner. One man older but physically fit, carried a handgun with two hands, finger on the trigger. Another man slightly taller wore a bandana over his face, only his eyes peeked from a rifles scope. “The sound came from over here”, the older man moved towards the display window. Vez put his head up and closed his eyes, as if begging for a miracle. “In here” the rifle man put his gloved hand on the door of the grocery shop, and pushed slowly. the bell rang, and he busted through looking both ways, the older man behind him. “All clear Jackson” he put his gun strap over his shoulder and started to look around the store. Jackson, the older fellow, wore all camouflage and still stood engaged in the doorway.
Vez sat on the floor at the end of the snack isle, the shelves were mostly empty. The rifleman wandered down the isle, he was going through boxes of food. “Useless, Expired!”. Jackson looked back out the door, then headed down the opposite isle,”Rico stay quiet.” His raspy tattered voice, not loud enough for Vez to hear. The rifleman, Rico, continued down the isle. Vez went to look around the corner, his foot slipped and the rubber soles squeaked across the tile floor. The rifleman quickly lifted his bandana and gun and headed toward the freezer doors at the end of the isle. When he reached the last shelves, Rico looked right and saw some cans thrown across the floor. He turned and felt a pain shooting up his ankle. Vez pushed the tazer into the mans leg until he fell to the floor. Rico lost consciousness, and the boy stood victorious over his unknown enemy. A whistle, Vez turned to see a gun pointed in his face, then all went black. Jackson knocked him out with his gun. Vez laid on the ground next to Rico’s boots, both turned out. “What a mess” the old man laughed.
Vez awoke to bumps, his body shaking and rattled, and the sun on his face. He heard heavy breathing and an engine and opened his eyes. It was his own, he looked and saw tiny small squares of string. Jackson had tied his hands around his back and put him in the back of a pick up truck. He put a burlap sack over his head, not knowing if he was one to be trusted. Vez looked into the cab and screamed at the old man, ” Hey where are you taking me?”.Jackson hit his, now awake and angry, friend to direct his attention. Rico slid the glass of the back window open, “This is for earlier, little prick” He punched Vez in jaw, everything faded black again, and the sounds muffled to quiet.
Vez instantly began to dream of his old life. He saw the greenest grass and children playing on the swing sets in the park. A couple walked passed and held hands and laughed. He looked around and the city was back to normal. Vez dreamt that he walked through the street and no war had ever happened. I have to warn them, he thought. He went to tell the couple, as they turned their faces molded into the masks of armored guards. He stepped back looking towards the park, the kids had disappeared. The grass had faded to brown and city seemed to blow away piece by piece in front of his eyes. He turned back hoping he wasn’t about to be shot. A dragon erupted out of the ground, tearing through the asphalt. With its white glowing eyes, seemingly rising from hell, Vez scurried backwards. The dragon was yellow and red, lifted its neck as its horned nose touched the sky, and scales shimmered and began to glow as fire came from behind its teeth. A bright light.
Vez awoke to the sound of music. It was soothing, The bag was ripped from his head and the sun gleamed, he squinted and looked around. A campground with twenty or so people. He saw children playing and a woman hanging laundry. ” Where am I?” Vez was stunned at his sudden peaceful surroundings. Rico and Jackson pulled him to his feet, and out of the truck. The campsite adverted their attention towards him. As the two men escorted Vez to a trailer hitched on the back of a truck. A motorcycle parked outside, mint condition, Vez thought. A woman stood in the doorway. “And who is this” she said, stepping down and feeling the hem of the travelers hooded sweatshirt. Storm clouds bellowed in the distance, Vex examined his jury.
All of the camp wore black or camouflage, and heavily armed. Even the children, he noticed were equipped with knives. The woman was burly. She had a beautiful face, but her body was built like a man. Her biceps flexed and she asked, “What’s your name kid?”. Vez looked at her straight in the eyes, “Vincent, my friends call me Vez.” The woman laughed, “Untie Vez here, and bring him to Docs.” Jackson untied Vex from the tight restraints and waved his hand, motioning for Vez to follow. Inside the tent containers filled the room, Medical supplies and a single chair. A man entered behind Vez.” Where am I”. The man smirked and took a blood sample. The light on the tester turned red and the man grabbed his neck, he held a blacklight up. “Does it matter” the man answered. He grabbed Vez’s wrist and turned it towards the light. His barcode reflected through his skin. Vez looked at the doctor. His eyes got big, and worried. “He’s Marked!” the man screamed outside as he pushed Vez through the tent.
The woman grabbed his arm, and Doc showed her with the light. His barcode reflected into her brown eyes, as she looked at Vez and screamed. “Hold him down!” She reached for her knife as Vez twisted to get away. Doc pushed him to the ground put his knee on his neck, ” Hold still, little devil.” The woman dug into the boys arm, the end of her blade pierced his skin and pushed under his code. He could feel the nerves being torn through as the embedded metal flopped over his skin, covered in blood. Breathing heavy, Vez was let up. He grabbed his wrist as the Doc grabbed wrap and tightly covered the fresh incision. “Come with me” The woman parted the tent flaps and tilted her head towards the trailer she came from. Vez followed holding his wrist, wandering what was going to happen to him. She stepped in the door, turned the doctor and slid her pants off. ” I’ll take it from here” Vez raised his eyebrows at Doc and turned to the woman in her underwear. He stepped in, the door shut behind them.
Soon World 