Gambler's Wasteland

by Mystical Muse

This is an OC story NOT A New Vegas story! David Gamble is just like any other man in the Wastes of Georgia. Except he may have a shot to fix the wrong's to his family. And journey out. To save everyone else before he himself. Falls to temptation of life

Author's Note: This is more of a test / pilot to see how this goes out and try to get some criticism in it. For the record I wrote this in one night. I'd been thinking bout writing it for some time now but one night the power went out at my house all night and couldn't sleep so I got out my generator and wrote from 8PM to 3:30 AM and all in all I liked it. But I'm just sending this out for criticism. But enough about my intentions. Here's a little bit about the story. READER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED! Their is suggestive themes in this story and some Adult themes that some readers may find disturbing. It's not a lemon. Anything I put is for advancing the plot or characters. I know it sounds sketchy but trust me, it's not. But don't leave any reviews telling me how caught off guard by what I put got you. I mean if you have a problem with it by ALL means please tell me, I want to know and can take it. But don't tell me in a uppity way like you weren't warned! ;D So leave a review and tell me what you do and don't like. And I'll take that in stride and improve! But must of all, THANK YOU FOR READING! ENJOY!

Gambler's Wasteland

Chapter 1

Even Revelation, Had a Beginning

Ever since the beginning of time stories have been told with the exact same routine and pattern. There's a bunch of bad guys, and one or two good guy(s) who have to stand up to the bad guys and save the world. Well this ISN'T one of those stories. This story is about simply a man having just as much of an internal struggle as he does and external struggle to keep himself breathing. While meeting 'friends' and new faces along the way, only few will impact him greatly. Or even stay around to watch his exodus. This story is rough. And sad. And real. I'm not going to depict the more friendly side of the wasteland. But, that's something you'll just have to learn on your own. But for now. This all starts with an adolescent 11 year old boy, just running and playing with his younger brother, Isaac a innocent 10 year old. Here. Is where it all begins...

October 12th 2271, Somewhere outside the city limits of Atlanta Georgia.

David, a young 11 year old boy excited to know that tomorrow he'd turn 12 and finally be old enough by his father's standards to start combat training, and even be able to go out and do SR's for the locals around the village they lived in. (A SR stands for special request, or basically a fancy way of saying job or quest. Something that requires a special skill set and often times comes with a nice little reward upon it's completion) Woke up with eye's wide and sat up straight in his cot that he'd slept in since he was two. David's full name was David Gamble. (Middle names were not given at birth where he was born, rather. Acquired as more of a nickname as time went by. Allowing someone to kind of get the option of birth name or something a bit more personal that is suggested along the way.)

David had wild hair, it was all over the place. And not just because he had bed hair but because he thought it made him look tougher. Or as he saw it, more like his father. He was tall, and had dark brown hair. Also wasn't skinny but wasn't overweight either, after all being overweight in the wasteland is a luxury few get to have. Him and his dad were extremely close. Ever since his mom left the picture anyway. David had two siblings, one his younger brother by 1 and a half years, and two a younger sister Dixie who had recently turned 8 a couple weeks back. Well during Dixie's birth, their mother sadly died from complications. Which just killed their father emotionally. It wasn't as much of selfish sadness that their father felt. But a more selfless rather. That he not only had brought 3 innocent children that he cared about far more than his own life into this dark hard world filled with sadness and death. But then they would have to grow up with out a mother for all intensive purposes, and he could hardly keep food on the box (It was as close to a table as they could get) and though he stayed strong for his two youngest, David always could see past the veil that his father had put up. After all he was just old enough to have gotten to see and remember his father before mom died.

David jumped out of his cot and ran over to the opposite side of his room and woke up his brother Isaac. With a jubilant tone of voice and total disregard for if his sister who was sleeping to the right of Issac was still trying to get some rest.

"ISAAC! IT'S ALMOST HERE! I TURN 12 TOMORROW!" Yelled David with a gigantic smile.

"Hey, um ya. You turn 12 TOMORROW, not TODAY! I don't know why you're so excited for something that hasn't even happened yet." Replied Isaac with one eye open and a sly smirk.

"Hey, um ya. YOU turn 12 in like 15 years, so like shut up and get dressed you and me are going down to green river today!" Said a still wired from anticipation David, also with a returning smirk.

Isaac simply grumbled obscenities and got up to go find himself out of his sleepwear. Though it may not seem like it. But David and Isaac were very close. Yet they still had the brother sibling hate for each other. But not really because they hated each other. But because in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. There simply just isn't all that much to do from the start. Although David and Isaac weren't as close as Isaac and Dixie were. When it came down to basics it always was and still was, David and His father Richard, And Isaac and Dixie. They kind of just naturally split like that. After all David looked identical to his father and Isaac looked identical to his mother. With blonder hair that just pulsated out in the sun. High cheekbones. A slightly curved nose and a just look in his eyes of adventure. Because of this David secretly always expected that Dixie latched onto him because she never got to know her mother and when she always heard how identical Isaac and his mom Alexandria were. She just took what she could get. Growing up as a girl was hard enough. Doing it without a mom. Was hell.

"Happy-Almost-Birthday..." Came a quiet gentle voice from the window corner of the room. From under the covers.

"Oh hey Dixie thanks! Sorry if I woke you up, I just sometimes get so wrapped up in the moment I totally forgot that you were still sleeping!" Laughed out a slightly embarrassed David.

"You be impulsive and not think before you act! NOOOOOO!" Said Dixie as she finally pulled the covers that were concealing her face down. To reveal her playful smile. Dixie now with the natural light from the window shining in looked surprisingly mature for her age. She easily could have been mistaken for being older than Isaac. Her height was about the average height of a 11 year old, but she had long hair that went down below her shoulders that she'd keep in a pony tail. (Because once again, that's how her mother looked.)

She also had Dark brown hair like her father and Eldest brother, with the trademark Gamble family high cheekbones. She also had just a couple freckles dotted across her cheeks but nowhere else on her face. Ultimately. She looked half and half when it came to her mother and father.

"Well I heard that sarcasm is a man's number one turnoff sexually, so with as little as you use it you should have a boyfriend in no time!" Said David cruelly well aware that Dixie had taken a profoundly young interest in boys, but it's not necessarily that she was unattractive but just like no other boys around her age share the same interest in the opposite sex. Also Dixie was scarily intelligent, a passing through scientist a couple weeks back swooped by around her birthday so per her request and her fathers birthday gift to her. She was given an IQ test which she scored outstanding in. The average Wastelander IQ is about 85-100 maximum. Whereas Dixie scored 125. Which is just under gifted regulations back in the day. And even better the Scientist said because of her young age she very well possibly will have a much higher IQ when she's older. Possibly breaching the 145 limit and qualifying as a Genius once she's around her teens. But of course her high intellect was intimidating to others. For example. Imagine, taking a dozen weak skinny and lazy people and mixing them up with one athlete. Super tall, muscular, and at any moment could beat the living crap out of you. That more or less is what the other children in the village {Specifically the boys} saw which made Dixie have a shortage of friends. Despite her overall albeit passive aggressive personality. She was loyal, kind, and loving...Just like their mother...

Well after the sly remark about men not finding sarcasm attractive this of course hurt Dixie greatly causing her to curl up in the fetal position under her covers and just lay there.

"I'll see you when I get back, okay sis?" Stated David a bit more comforting now realizing he was taking Dixie's only friend away from her to go to the river, and with their Father out in town on SR all day she'd be all alone.

"Ya, sure have fun David!" She said with obviously faked optimism in her voice. Which only made him feel worse. Of course at least she didn't hold it over his head. He felt very protective of his siblings. No matter what. He was the oldest and while their Father was on SR's he would always have to take care of them.

And with that David turned around and went outside to wait for his brother. Within about 10 minutes David and Isaac were well on their way south to arrive at Green River. Being about 4 miles down it's average hours brisk walk for the two of them. After all in the Wastes the first thing they teach you when your born, is to run. Long before walking or crawling.

Once they were on their way they both talked about girls around the village and cool comics they'd write some day and really just enjoyed their time. Once they got to green river they once again realized why it was called green river. A joke of sorts because post-nuclear war EVERYTHING is radioactive, except for some reason this river Despite it looking greener than a nuclear rod it was completely safe. Rumors speculate it was some kind of experiment long ago from up north in the Washington D.C area. But David nor Isaac cared because they got drink and bathe in perfectly safe and cold water.

David and Isaac swam, laughed, played, and got to experience something rarely anyone in the wasteland get to. They got to be kids. At least for a while.

After hours of fun they both sat up against a rock to catch their breath before the long run home to make it home before it got to dark and then noticed the beautiful sunset as it was slowly being devoured by the tree line and endless ash from the wasteland. Yet it was weird in the way that. They were both kind of like in this Oasis type area. Amidst all this death and chaos, there was this little sanctuary untouched by the sins of man. This was their river, their rock, their happy place.

"Why aren't there any other places like this in the Wastelands?" Questioned David sadly from the thought but still giddy from the day that they just had.

"You know man. I wish I knew. Then again I don't. All I know is. You and me. Dixie too. If we stick together. We can fix this place. If all of us just put family first and work with my charisma, your lethal skill set, and Dixie's intelligence. We'd be unstoppable!" Isaac finished what he was saying by looking into David's eyes directly and saying four words under his breath. "We could do something..." The helplessness in Isaac saying that brought some tears to his eyes which he tried to hold back. David seeing this he started to tear up as well. They both missed and wanted their mom back. They wanted to live normal happy lives like they'd read about hundreds of years ago. They wanted peace. And happiness. And not to be able to say they at the simple age of 12 and 10 collectively had lost 4 dear friends from raiders, mutants, disease. Whatever.

They just wanted to be kids.

Yet instead of coiling up into a ball and crying until there were no tears left to shed. They noticed it was pitch black and their was a crimson moon. When they looked up they just stared at it, how huge it was and how red it appeared to be. They both looked at each other hugged the sadness out of each other. And with an exasperated sigh Until seconds later. Playfully decided to race each other back home.

The bright crimson moon shined a red hue on their curvy trail back home. They as if nothing had happened were laughing and nervously joking hoping their father hadn't returned home early and was waiting angrily at the door for them when they returned. Unbeknownst to them. Their was something. Much, MUCH. More sinister waiting for them to arrive.

Once they were about a mile out from the village and exited the dense forest. There's just a valley that once was a prairie. A bunch of hills and such but mainly was pretty barren of tall things like tree's or houses so you could see pretty far way out. Which allowed them to see a giant smokestack coming from the approximate location of their village. They both looked at each other for a split second without muttering a word, they both looked straight at the village with new energy from adrenaline they sprinted to the blood red smoke because of the light from the crimson moon.

Once somehow managing to sprint over that final hill until they got to the entrance of the village which was basically a slope down. The village was in a old pit kind of. This was intentional to avoid attention from people passing by. And because it'd collect water much more effectively this way.

Isaac stood in silence unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Oh...My...God..." David somehow managed to find the strength to push out of his throat.

They both immediately remembering that they left Dixie home alone they started a stealthily sprint down the slope and west to go around where all the Raiders were piling the dead and burning whatever they got the impulse to burn.

Once they got about 100 feet from their house they saw all the houses leading up to it were damaged (More than usual anyway) or were on fire and people were being brought out from their houses and taken to the center of the village as to make sure nobody tried anything funny. Anyone who resisted was killed on the spot.

The sight of Mr. Anderson laying on the ground absent of motion was disturbing enough till they noticed the lake of blood that he was laying in. One of the raiders most likely using a machete had taken repeated swings to the head of Mr. Anderson. Doing un-repairable damage. To a fault. He laid choking in his own blood because the back of his head had several cracks from sliced machete scars. Part of his bald head was barren of skin nor skull. Just ripped brain matter strewn around the ground. As if some of the raiders had pinned him down while the cut open his skull and started to play doctor with his brain while he could still feel every minute detail.

The moment they saw Mr. Anderson's chest stop moving and he somewhat just ceased everything was a almost happy relief to the young brothers. Mr. Anderson was one of the nicest men he'd ever met, and the pain he must have had just endured was something...Something no man of his kind deserved. And seeing that all the trials and tribulations of the wasteland were finally over for him. Was good to see.

The trauma of Mr. Anderson's death disappeared with astounding speed the second they saw who's house the raiders were barging into now...Their own.

"DIXIE!" They both yelled in unison.

In a less than a second they were off their bellies and on a full sprint to the edge of their house. They made it up to the wall of their home and sneakily tip toed to the back of the house under the window where they all slept in and next to where Dixie was hiding under her bed. Through the wall they could hear her sniffles. The tears of a frightened 8 year old without anyone to help her.

They could hear the Raiders had decided to start searching for any residents on the opposite side of the house first which was good because it gave them more time to come up with a plan to get Dixie out safe.

They quietly tapped on the thin aluminum wall which startled Dixie and made her do a little shriek and start to crawl away crying now harder. Before Dixie could crawl out of earshot though once again both brothers in unison yelled. "IT'S US DIXIE!"

Which then caused Dixie happy to hear a familiar guiding voice despite all else practically to what they could guess leap back under her bed to talk through the wall which made even more noise than they'd already needed to.

"What do I do guys! I'm so scared!" Whispered through her tears against the wall so they could hear it.

"Just sit tight and try not to make any noise okay Dixie? Just close your eye's and think about all the stories we've told you about green river. Well you're being so brave through all of this I think you're old enough to go see it with me and David alright? Just close your eyes and picture us tomorrow all going to Green River. You're going to be just fine!" Through all of that the two brother's usual strong willed demeanor that they'd acquired from their father went right out the the window. With them both choking up. They were really scared too. They just had to be strong for their sister.

"Okay, I trust you gu-" Dixie was interrupted by the sound of a large man with a crimson Mohawk barged through the door. The sound of the siblings yelling and moving around the room must have been heard by the raiders which then set them onto the hunt in other rooms while the Mohawk-ed one in particular investigated the sound. The sudden loud intrusion was so startling it made them all jump out of shock, Dixie especially because her jump was included with a "Eep" from her little girl cry. This sent the man right to her leaping under the bed and looking at her with investigative eyes.

"Come here sweetie!" Yelled the raider. Then grabbing her by the waist and pulling her out from her hiding spot then once holding her in the air while she struggled and shifted trying to get free he all of a sudden cracked a smile. But as the boys could see from looking through the window. Was not a regular smile of happiness. But a sinister smile of bad intentions. The raider through Dixie against the wall in the corner and immediately turned around looking out the door to the rest of his Raider buddies yelling, "HEY GUYS NOTHING HERE YOU GO ON AHEAD, I GOTTA TAKE A MASSIVE DUMP!" The raider declared proudly, as he then closed the door and locked it behind him. Then looking at the young girl." You know, you're not usually my type. I don't have much experience with 12 year old's such as yourself but. Variety is the spice of life right? Gotta be willing to take a gamble try new things. And you my darling. I'm gonna try...Every last...Inch of you.!" The raider said all of this obviously making the casual mistake of thinking Dixie was older than she actually was like many have before.

Dixie now starting to understand what the raider meant by "I'm gonna try...Every last...Inch of you!" And then licking his lips and winking. When it all clicked in her head she started to cry profusely, and crawled as far up into the corner as she could. "Please...Plea-...DON'T DO THIS!" Dixie begged.

The raider now taking a cigarette out of his back pocket and lighting with one hand while taking off his belt with the other said. "Oh my! I apologize, where are my manners. First my name's Eugene but you can just call me 'Big G' and I know I'm supposed to take you out to dinner first but, ya know. The economy's in the crapper so let's just get this over with huh?" Finished the raider as his pants dropped and was just standing there with boxers and all his shirts and jackets on. Walking over to the girl he picked up the struggling child and tossed he on the bed. Saying "Don't fight it baby. 7 inches is a lot to fight for a girl your age!" As he tried to take off her shirt she bit him so badly that blood started to come from his wrist.

When David and Isaac saw this they both thought that she'd crossed the line and he was going to kill her but in fact they discovered just how sick and twisted Eugene really was.

"Oh you want it rough huh baby? I can play too ya know!" as he jumped up on the cot putting his knees on hers so she couldn't move and slapped her in the face.

"HOW DO YOU LIKE IT WHORE!" Yelled Eugene. Then inhaling from his cigarette and getting up close to her's and blowing it all in her face. She coughed and gagged and then as a last ditch effort to fight back spit in his face.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back to Eugene. "Oh I'm SO TIRED OF YOUR CRAP MISSY!" Taking one more big breath from his cigarette then taking it from his mouth and pushing it right into her right shoulder just above the breast. The smoke from the burning skin was all Isaac could take anymore. He was no longer paralyzed with fear. He was ready to kill that Son of a bitch

Isaac grabbed David by the shoulder and looked him in the eye's saying. "I'm going in alright, I'm going to kill that bastard or at least hold him off! I need you to get Dixie out of there as soon as he stops paying her any attention alright!" Ordered Isaac

David was shocked with how fast Isaac had stood up to the occasion of being the leader, he's used to being the one. But before he could argue Isaac was already half way around the house. So David stood up and ran for the front door too. As they ran into the house Isaac ran straight for the closet and grabbed his dad's baseball bat from when he was younger and they both stood by the locked door to their room, glanced at each other once, nodding motionlessly yet. So obviously to one another. And in one movement swiftly kicked down the door.

From the time it'd taken for them to run around the house and get in somehow Eugene had managed to get Dixie's pants off and was about to strip away that final silk layer when he was confronted with a baseball bat to the face. And a screaming Isaac behind it. The raider was obviously stoned on Jet because he took the hit like it was nothing (Which also explains why he ignored all the other things Dixie did to him earlier as well.) Within a second he was up on his two feet pulling a machete from within a hidden sheath inside his leather Jacket he reluctantly never took off. The machete once taken out of it's sheath was stained with fresh blood which took almost no time to realize was Mr. Anderson's blood from his skull that they'd seen earlier.

"YOU FIRST KILL MR. ANDERSON IN SUCH A CRUEL AN INHUMANE WAY, NOW YOU TRY AND RAPE OUR 8 YEAR OLD SISTER, I'LL BASH YOUR TWISTED PSYCHOTIC SKULL OPEN!" Not very original but in the heat of the moment nothing else mattered in the world except for watching Eugene's heart slowly halt to a complete stop.

Isaac lunged for Eugene and Eugene swiftly stepped to the side and sliced open the back of Isaac's leg right through his pant leg letting out a stream of blood, from a sliced artery. Eugene with a laugh getting cocky started to twirl his blade when Isaac took a couple pebbles that must have floated into his pocket while they were swimming at Green River and threw them into Eugene's eye's.

"Ahhh what the he-" Eugene was interrupted with yet another dire blow to the skull, except this time, Isaac had no intentions of stopping his swings.

Swing one a stream of blood flew the air and landed on the ground almost in slow motion. Swing two right into the nose breaking a chunk of his nostril right off. And then the third and final swing made contact with Eugene's forehead caving in his cranium and breaking the skin layer and letting a little portion of his brain matter ooze out like caramel out of a half eaten candy bar. Eugene shook on the ground for about 30 seconds until finally coughing up a small bit of blood. Where he looked at his audience who did this to him and whispered with great struggle

"Gahh Ugh They-...They'll come for me-...GAHHHHH …...You'll pay...PA- GAHHHHH!" With the final blood curdling scream. He fell into eternal silence.

The silence went on forever. Until the sound of gunshots and the sound of jeeps pulled through the dirt road in front of their house. And the sounds of a intercom saying "Attention all raiders we are the GEORGIA STATE MARSHALL'S Leave the village now. All raiders will be shot on sight! ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS GROUP UP WITH YOUR CLOSEST GSM MARSHALL AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE PROTECTION!" The intercom cut out with a electronic shriek and then the the message looped over again about 30 seconds later. The three siblings with tears in their eyes all just stared at the dead man who was sprawled across the floor. Growing up in the wastelands you get desensitized to a lot of gruesome things. But this. This was something completely of it's own.

Dixie jumped from the bed pounced on Eugene and started to punch him with a hybrid cry scream. She punched and punched "YOU SICK PERVERT!" She just couldn't stop crying but couldn't stop punching the man who'd done so much to her physically and mentally. Dixie had moved so quick that neither Isaac nor David could react to stop her. Isaac who's reaction time was still a little slurred because of how violent he'd just become. A monster. He just killed someone. As David has rushed over by now to grab Dixie who was crying tears of such raw emotion that everyone had some tears in their eyes just the boys needed to stay strong. Needed to keep her calm. While David was hugging Dixie, Isaac bent down when he saw something reflecting light on Eugene's vest that he seemed so fond of.

When Isaac bent down to investigate he saw something that would ultimately seal everyone's fate in that room forever. He saw a Raider insignia pinned Eugene's chest. He was a Raid Commander. The highest rank on field troops in the Raider Military in Georgia. Whoever he'd just killed was important. VERY important. And killing important people in the Raider Military, is a mistake few have long enough to regret it. When he said that "They'll come for me" He was warning us.

"Oh God..." Said Isaac, getting everyone's attention because his siblings were unaware of his sudden revelation

"What!" Asked both his siblings in Unison.

"I think I just started a war..." Said Isaac quietly.

Everyone else was without words. Mostly because they didn't quite understand. But Isaac simply turned around and walked away slowly to the front door. He slowly walked down the steps to his house and walked up to the very first GSM Medic Officer he saw. And fell to the ground from a gash on his leg that had severed an artery. And was bleeding out fast. At last. This day was coming to an end.

"Happy birthday Bro..." Isaac seemed to half whisper, half fade away.

Author's Note: So yes Eugene HAD intentions of raping Dixie but DID NOT! Albeit coming close all he did was get close which to me isn't something TOO terrible to mark a story trash. And Eugene did get his brains beat out (Pun intended) So least he got what was coming to him. I really LOVED writing this because I haven't in such a long time. So please drop me a review or message or make my day and favorite it! :D If you want to see chapter 2. Well you have to tell me haha.

So thanks for reading and also please do me and my good friend '' a favor and drop a read or review on his Fallout story "All the Difference In the World" the link is on the bottom. Until next time guys and gals...Peace!

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