LuckyDucky

I was bored with my current projects, so I dug this up and rewrote some of it. Between this, a retro review I'm working on, a little something I'm planning to do right before the Starcraft 2 release like maybe a weird blog (don't tell anyone), starting up on the road to college, maybe getting off my lazy ass and getting the license to drive the car on said road, and a bunch of totally sweet and not gay games coming out this fall, 2010 should be an awesome year (2009 sucked). More blogs to come, maybe more stories like this, or some with happier themes.



Anyway go ahead and enjoy it, and then tell me I'm crazy for writing this weird stuff.

The Hunter...

I see the reflection of a thousand faces as the unforgiving rays of the sun dance on the metal of my rifle. This weapon, once in a time long ago used to hunt wild beasts, is now used to hunt men, women, children...and the sport now is survival, take anything and everything of value. Value this word has a meaning that has altered in the last decade so much...today's currency is in the shape of food, water, and clothes. The money once worth so much, has now nearly disintegrated from existence. Every person alive today will gladly trade friendship for an untainted piece of bread, violence is the true currency of our new government, and anarchy is the basis of it's policies. Take what you can, and in return offer merciful death.

The landscape extends in all directions, presenting itself as desert...no, wasteland. The soil beneath my feet is barren and hard, nearly stone...not sand. The sun above me beats me down with every passing minute, surrounding me in a shroud of heat. Every object I carry burdens me with greater pains after every step I take. I have long ago run out of water and food, all that remains is my rifle, and the ammunition to it. These prized possessions are worth a price infinitely greater than my own life. As the shroud of heat closes in around my mind I see a shape of in the distance, not the first hallucination I've come across in my travels. A bright light emits from the shape and shines directly into my eyes, I am blinded for a split second. And I realize that the shape is no hallucination. I clear my head of thought and observe the shape, soon it becomes clear to me that it is a woman. And it appears she is carrying a backpack, and a smaller handbag. I waste no time, I pull out my rifle and grab a bullet from my bag. The fires of pain that hit my hand at that moment were indescribable, the bullet being at the top of the pile had absorbed the suns heat. I had no desire to examine the burns, my target deserved all the attention. As I loaded the bullet and pushed the bolt forward I got the slight notion that the backpack the woman is carrying made a movement, but I paid no attention to it at the time. I took aim, fired. One clear shot, the target collapsed.

A sudden burst of adrenaline hit me, and I ran for the prize. The thirst to steal anything and everything that woman had possessed pumped more energy into me than I could have imagined my withered body had left. How that sudden energy came about is of little importance now, what transpired at the location of the body was...much more interesting.

As I approached the body I noticed she was clutching a mirror in her hand, which explained the bright flash emitted in my direction. It was that same kind of mirror once used by women to put on make-up. The only make-up she is wearing is the blood that was pouring from her head unto her face, an excellent shot by me. I then proceeded to rummage her handbag for anything of use. There was a piece of unknown meat, which I ate within seconds. I had no clue from what animal or person it may have come from, but the nourishment quickly surpassed the disgusting taste. The rest of the contents of the handbag included a few stray bullets which did not match my rifle's caliber, and a couple of strange colored swatches. As I dropped the useless items on the ground I noticed that the woman was not dead. Not breathing, but her eyes followed my hands with a rapid fear. I waited for her to die, so I could continue in peace. But she continued to watch me, she wouldn't stop staring. I closed her eyes with my hand, she had nothing to worry about now.

On her body was not a back pack, but instead a strangely large amount of folded rags, curious as to what the item might be that required so much protection from the sun, I began to unravel it. Inside I found a very interesting albeit useless object. A small child. Asleep, shielded from the unforgiving sun's rays. I stared at the child as a cat would stare at an intruder in its home, it should not be here. Why was it here? It needed to be elsewhere. Maybe it should be moved...no, the dead woman would not appreciate me moving it.

I shrugged to myself, concluded that the meat was not a waste of a bullet. And continued on my trek north towards the distant mountain ranges.