I wake up with a start. I look around and take in my surroundings. I'm in a house, what's left of it anyway. I spent all winter here, trying my hardest to survive. It was always cold and dark. I had to scavenge what I could to survive, break apart doors, tables and chairs just to keep the fire going. There's nothing of value left here now. It's time for me to move on to the next town. If I'm lucky I might find some other people that won't try to kill me. It gets lonely being the only person around.
I open my pack and retrieve my map. I'm in a small town called Lossiemouth, I spent my childhood here. It seems like a century ago now, the innocence of childhood gone in a heartbeat. My plan is to grab a mastiff off of the RAF base here, if I can find one, and drive to Dumfries and hole up near there.
I stand up and grab my rifle, a 5.56mm SA80 A2 assault rifle with a SUSAT sight on top. I have about 500 rounds in a bandolier and another 180 in six thirty-round box magazines, including the one in the weapon. I also attach my Kukri to my left thigh, while a Browning 9mm is attached to my right one. I have 4 magazines for the pistol. I put my belt kit and webbing on and place my spare magazines in the various pouches, in the pouches also go my map and some basic medical equipment, such as bandages, and some morphine syringes.
On my back goes my camelback underneath my rucksack. Inside my rucksack is a sleeping bag, a basher, two survival blankets, enough rations to keep me going for a week, some more medical equipment, water purifying tablets, a spare pair of socks, thermal clothing, matches, a 500ml bottle of Irn Bru and three Mars bars.
I leave the building I was holed up in and move through the remains of the town. Within a few minutes I'm at the entrance to RAF Lossiemouth. The flag is still flying, I'm honestly surprised that it hasn't blown off in the wind. As I pass the decommissioned Tornado GR4, I think back to when my father use to take me to the squadron and families' day. Things were so peaceful back then, the only worries I had were exams and girlfriends. Now, only a year later, I'm fighting for my life against these 'wizards'. That's what they call themselves at least.
I've killed a few of them ever since the 'war' started. Honestly it's been more like a massacre or extermination. They took us by surprise. It was just a normal day, couples were getting married, or breaking up. People were celebrating their birthdays, others were at funerals. I was working in the coffee shop in the combined mess on the base. The base was already on heightened alert, so it was obvious that something had happened.
When I saw everyone running around and the guard on the gate double as well as the gates being closed I thought that there had been an attack on a base or that we had been invaded. It turns out that these wizards had attacked London, Cardiff, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The populations had been slaughtered. My father was down in Sunderland for the international air show at the time, I haven't seen or heard from him since he left.
My mother came round to my dad's house in Lossiemouth, knowing that I was staying there to make it easier to get to work. I was at the Co-op at the time fighting for supplies, she left a note for me. When I got back home it was too late, My mum said she was heading south and that I should head that way myself. I didn't listen of course, I stayed put while everyone else left. Waited a few days and started looting the other houses, found plenty of canned foods, bottled water, medicine. Seems like everyone else just wanted to get away from the carnage. I went on to the base to get some ration packs when my supplies started running short. That's when I got my weapons, picked them up off a dead soldier.
Yeah, the scum attacked the base and destroyed half the town, I was hiding during it. When I emerged from my hiding place there was a giant skull in the cloud with what seemed like a snake leaving its' mouth, either that or it has a very long tongue. It's still there, just floating there and refusing to move. It's stopped most those magic fuckers showing back up though. had to kill a few of them that thought it would be fun to scavenge a destroyed village.
I find a mastiff and start it up, before I start driving south I'm going to head to Forres and try find two of my friends. Safety in numbers after all. I know the odds are slim that they're still alive, let alone still holed up there but I've been lucky so far so who knows. Thankfully it isn't too cold, it is spring after all. Don't get me wrong it's still freezing compared to other places but its warmer than the winter was at least.
When I get to the gates I pause. I take one last look at what I know before leaving, my eyes drift to the flagpole, the colours still flying strong, albeit a little worse for wear. I don't know why I did it, maybe it was for sentimentality's sake, or maybe it was the military brat in me. Perhaps it was another strange reason entirely, all I know for sure is that I got out and lowered the colours, probably for the last time. I put the flag in between my chest and my body armour and climbed back into the mastiff before turning left at the gates.
As I drove along the quiet roads to Forres I realised how quiet it was, with the exception of the mastiff's engine. I knew I wouldn't be sneaking up on anyone in this thing. Probably scaring off any wildlife as well. Guess it's gonna be rations again for dinner. I could do with some rabbit, or even better some venison. Be good to have some fresh meat, ah well, maybe another day.
The road was never this deserted, normally I would've seen another few cars before I reached the turnoff to Forres. Then it hit me, nothing is normal anymore, we have these shitheads flying on brooms, or teleporting into our midst and killing everything. Men, women, the old, the young, the healthy, the sick, rich, poor, they didn't care. They burned down Dr Gray's hospital in Elgin. Pain as well that is, lost the chance of getting any supplies from there.
As I turned off into Forres, I started remembering the good times I had while I was still in school. My friend Michael and I used to have such a laugh, a few jokes here, a drunken night there, going shooting with him before getting some food then doing our chemistry homework, such a laugh. He's who I'm looking for, my brother in all but blood, add to the fact that I used to want to fuck his cousin. The point is that we were tight, and if he won't help me, at least he won't shoot me on sight. And if his cousin is there then that's a bonus.
It was roughly half an hour after I had entered Forres that I found Michael's house. It didn't even look that bad, the windows were still intact, the door was attached and the roof hadn't collapsed…lucky pisspot. I parked the mastiff outside his house, climbed out, charged my rifle, switched off the safety and headed towards the building. I reached the door without getting shot, that's good. Now the door, I pushed the handle down and tried to open it but it was locked, typical. A kick should break it down or I can smash a window.
Three solid kicks to the door later and I was in. Hall clear, two doors left, one door right, stairs at the end. First door left, bathroom; clear. Second door left, kitchen/dining area; clear, clean dishes next to sink, cleaned recently? Door right, living room; clear. Stairway; clear, climbing stairs. Top of stairs, two doors right, two left, one at end. First door left, bedroom; clear. First right, bathroom; clear, shower floor wet? Recently used, someone is either here or was here not long ago, was it him? Possible.
Second door left, another bedroom; still clear, bed seems recently slept in, unsure. Door at end of hall, cupboard, various military uniforms inside, still clear, no winter wonderland filled with talking animals, damn. Final room, ready to enter. THUD. Sounded like something falling over, possibly friendly, possibly enemy. Kick door open and move to side in case they are armed, then ask for name, if Michael ask questions only he would know answer to.
I kick the door down and move to the side, lucky as well, almost caught a lamp to the face.
"Identify yourself!" I called into the room.
"You first!" He called back. My hopes went up a bit.
"James. Your turn"
"Jim, it's me Mick"
"Prove it. What was our chemistry teacher afraid of?"
"Seagulls, Gaz and Ferg used to make the sounds in class and change his desktop background to one" he called back "Your turn. Who did I take to prom?"
"Nobody" that was an easy one. "We both went solo, like most of the lads, much more fun that way"
"Come in then"
And that's when I saw him, hair still damp but fully dressed in jeans and a black jumper. "aren't you a sight for sore eyes you ugly son of a whore" I said as I embraced him in a brotherly hug.
"look who's talking, you look as if you just came out of a warzone, and you smell like you haven't showered in weeks" he replied.
"try months mate, no running water where I came from unlike you. Living the high life are we?"
"not really, I've been spending my time making sure my house still works"
"like your shower eh?"
"yes well, it uses rain water and ran dry before I could even put soap on"
"Well there goes my chance of a shower"
"Sorry mate. C'mon, let's get something to eat"
"Sure thing" and I followed him out of the room, but not before I saw myself in the mirror. Damn I was filthy, my face was covered in dirt with the whitest part being my eyeballs, may hair was still rather short thanks to me cutting it with my kukri but it was caked it grime and mud and old sweat. It was ginger before all this but now it looked like a dark brown, nearly black. My clothes weren't torn or anything but still had a fair bit of dirt on them, helped a bit the camouflage I guess. But what truly shocked me were my eyes, they didn't have any innocence left in them, they were cold with a deadly hint to them, like a war veteran who saw horrors that no one should have to see. I looked quite badass to be honest, now I just need a badass catchphrase. I'll be working on that as well.
"Hey Jim, you coming or what?" I heard Mick yell.
"Yeah lad, be right down."
We had some eggs and Waiwai, noodles from Nepal, can be eaten raw quite easily, taste damn good as well. Shame we had the eggs raw. Damn shame that neither of us could find any bacon. Would be nice to find some, miss that more than anything, except my PlayStation. After we ate he moved the dishes away, gave me a glass of water sat down opposite me.
"So?" He started.
"So?"
"What's the plan mate?"
"Honestly Mick, I have no idea, I didn't expect you to still be here, let alone still alive."
"Why come here then? If you thought I was dead why waste fuel and time looking for me?"
"For the sake of the plot."
"What?"
"Yeah, the writer doesn't want me wondering around alone, less dramatic, same reason you've got tits now" I said calmly.
"WHAT THE FUCK! Hold on I ain't got tits."
"Of course not, I'm just fucking with you Micky boy, I came here cause I need someone to watch my back, anyway onto the plan"
"Alright, what have you got?"
"Have a look here" I said as I pulled out my map of Scotland. "We're here" I pointed to Forres. "We need to head here" pointed to Dunblane. "We get there, go to our old school, check for any other Victorians that may still be there, resupply, get some equipment and then we plan from there. Was thinking about Dumfries."
"What makes you think those school kids are still alive, even with Mr Stacy there and the guns, they're just kids."
"Mick, we were just like them not too long ago, we are old Victorians, we have an obligation to go there and help however we can, and if we are too late to save anyone, which I fear to be true, then we are to secure the colours so they cannot be defiled by our enemies."
"I never promised anything like that!"
"You owe that school and all within this much at least!"
"I owe that school nothing! We went and we learned, then we left. That is all! If you are happy to waste your life on that school then go! I shall not!"
"Is that the truth mate?"
"Yes"
"Nothing is true, I thought you'd have learned that by now. I'll be leaving in five minutes if you change your mind."
I waited five minutes and as I was about to leave the wanker proper bomb burst out of his door. Threw his bag in the back and climbed in next to me.
"Thought you'd never come to your senses mate"
"Can't bloody well let you go on your own, you'll get yourself killed without me."
"Too true lad" I said as I started the engine, put her in gear and set off. Dunblane was our destination. To Queen Victoria School, who knew what we would find. Our fellow Victorians? Or just dead bodies? Would the colours still be there or would we be too late? These questions and more ran through my mind as I hit the road south, all I knew was that we were never going to return to our homes. Not until we took vengeance for the innocents slaughtered by the Wizards and their magic.
A/N: So first chapter, first story. I'm curious as to what people think of it, and if just one person thinks it has a tiny chance at being a half decent story then I will gladly continue it. I'll probably continue it anyway, already have the next few chapters inside my head, just got to get them out. Can I borrow someone's power drill? Thanks.