Dedication: This story would not be possible if it weren't for booNyzarC, the man behind Decker and the creator of the lore we're about to indulge in. I owe Macie and her role in this story to him, and thank him so so much for allowing me to take this journey with him. Also a special thank you to TehJamJar for creating the environment on The Red Zone for us to play in. Find them both on Twitch, show them the love, because they certainly deserve it.
What do you do when you find yourself alone in the middle of an unfamiliar place? I wasn't sure what to do, if I'm being honest. Papa always said honesty was the best policy, keeps you from gettin' your tongue tangled when tryin' to spread lies. I suppose when writing down what has happened, lying would be kinda pointless wouldn't it? Not like anyone'll ever read this except me.
Off track again, but that's just me. Macie Leigh, in the middle of nowhere, not knowin' what to do or where to go, ramblin' on about unnecessary things. I suppose I can try to describe this place I'm in, not like I want to remember it if I ever find my way out. There's a cold feeling around these parts - dark, scary, noises like rabid dogs on the wind. Trees rustlin' in anticipation of what frightening things may be around the corner. Not quite sure how I came to be here, memory's a little fuzzy there. I know one minute I was with others like me, in this new country for a singing competition, and in the next minute, it all changed.
Some say they remember screams of horror, of watching their loved ones change right before their eyes. Others have a similar story to mine; not quite sure how we ended up in the position we're in. All I know is I've been sittin' in this abandoned house for too long; someone's bound to come lookin' for food or water and all I have is this magnum and mosin to defend myself. Oh, and the axe. The axe comes in quite handy against those… other beings.
I wandered around for God knows how long, gathering what food I could find and supplies I may need to get me through the day. Hadn't seen a soul in weeks. Strangely enough, haven't seen any bodies either. You'd think in a place where those monsters are roaming around that there'd be more corpses or somethin'. But no. It's quiet - almost too quiet. Which is probably why he scared the ever livin' shit out of me when I heard his deep, rough voice behind me.
My new traveling companion. Odd one he is. Papa always said I was too trusting, and maybe he'd be right in this case. Decker is one intimidating man, but after being alone for so long, it was nice to have someone to talk to again. I almost thought I'd forget how to speak if I ever ran into another person. But even so, it would probably be alright, 'cause Decker's a man of few words. There wasn't much to our initial conversation other than some small talk. He tried to assure me as best he could that everythin' would be alright and I had nothin' to fear when I was with him. Still, that voice of his made it a little less convincing. Intimidating, yeah, that's Decker.
I do enjoy the nickname he's given me though. He asked where I was from, and I told him I was born and raised in San Antonio Texas but had moved to Nashville Tennessee as most foolish country singer hopefuls from the south do. I don't think he ever called me Macie after that first time meeting; from now on, at least to Decker, I'd become "Nashville." I kinda like it, but let's just keep that between me and this piece of paper.
We spent the next few days gatherin' supplies as most I imagine do around these parts. I hadn't had much practice using guns, so Decker forced me to kill those nasty creatures that wander around here. I gotta say, I didn't do too bad, and I think I even impressed him a little! We found a place to call home in a cute little town called Lopatino, and agreed that if we ever got separated that we'd make our way back there to find each other again.
Good thing we did, as my shootin' impressed him enough for him to take us to the more dangerous places in this country. I'll admit I was terrified, but he has a way of calming me when he assures me that everything will be alright. So we visited some old military bases and got some new clothes and weapons. We ended up near some big tower by Green Mountain, but it was late and pretty dark, and we did indeed get separated. Not sure what happened there, all I know is I found his gun layin' near that tall tower. I waited around to see if he'd return, but he never did. So I grabbed his gun for him and headed back to our home, hopin' he'd return there as planned.