Chapter 2c
"So what was the kill word?"
"Gunfire."
"That's catchy."
He didn't smile. He also didn't like me. Some people were like that. I just had to enter a room and it was all downhill for them.
Sleepyhead Dad sensed it too and said "Son. Did you see that? The man knows how to handle them guns."
"I saw it. I saw him come walking by the house too. Came out of nowhere,"
The trailer door was open now and a tow headed kid of 16 was staring in at me. He had a pump action shotgun hanging low and loose in his hand. He looked okay. Too bad he was going to have to go first if his friend kept pushing.
Looking at the kid made me realize how old I was getting. America, or what passed for it now, had two big age groups for the most part. My generation, the generation young enough to survive the big die off after PowerDown, which had killed most of the real young, the out of shape middles, the fat and medicated, and the old. Now all the survivors kids were of age or coming into it.
I decided to end the bullshit. I didn't want to be standing around in this sweat box chatting all day.
"Jacob. You got a vehicle that runs?"
"Why?"
What a surly fuck I thought. "Because I'll pay you to run me into town. That's why."
Captivating as ever, Nova. Another masterpiece in the making. Although...
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I've come into the theatre five minutes late and missed the back story!
Who is the main character? Why is he headed to Flagstaff to, "put out or start fires"? What motivates him? How did he get here?
Or am I just being impatient again?
Thank you, as ever, for sharing with us. It's good to see your creative juices flowing again.
K
K,
ReplyDeleteHmmm...that will end up being covered.
I have never understood why people insist on nice tidy beginning, middle, an end. Life isn't like that, at least for me and in this type of world it would even be less likely for all the characters. Shit happens. People show up. People go away, People come back.
Appoligies. No impertinence intended.
ReplyDeleteK
Good to see you back, nova. Sorry I didn't comment sooner when I saw you had another story here. I stop by Bison's site, but just to look around. I sometimes can't get past the way Jim writes, it sounds too much like the Mogambu Guru. This looks like a good yarn, and I'm also not one for starting at the beginning if the backstory gets told along the way. Your protagonist must clank when he walks. What kind of plate's the armor?
ReplyDeleteStay safe
ceramic inserts. one alone is probably worth the cost of his weapons. Nice to see you again Lergnom
ReplyDeleteOK, OK - mee tooo! Welcome back! Missed you! Thank you for new story! Best, Z.
ReplyDelete