Leaning out the car window into the sweet summer breeze the girl took the fast food bag from the smiling employee. She set the bags carefully on her passenger seat, the smell of the onions and special sauce was just making her giddy, she bathed her face in the warming sun for just a moment. Turning her head while admiring the lush greenery all about her she smiled at the restaurant server, her soft voice seemed to mirror her joy,
"Thank you ever so much!"
Her smile began to fade as the server seemed to be mouthing something to her over and over again. A pain rushed through her skull, she grasped her forehead, the spinning had begun again, this endless dance between realities. She clenched her eyes tightly and then finally heard a voice, but not the voice she expected from the teenage drive-thru worker. Finally she opened her eyes, staring into the drive-thru window, or what was left of it. The scene within her head seemed to be parodied by what was now all around her. The smell of decay and the nearly entirely destroyed sign, which now read, "UR - F A T FOOD" created a scene of utter destruction.
"I said move along for gods sake!" Croaked the voice, finally at full volume and sounding very irked.
The ghoul at the window waved her off, annoyed that she had taken up so much of his time. She shook her head, cursing under her breath that the daydreams had become vivid once more. Realizing the car had never existed she began packing away the paper bag she had been handed by the ghoul, within was an assortment of wasteland products; without pausing the wanderer produced a syringe, injecting the vital stimpak into her shuddering body. Instant relief washed over her entire body, the pain vanished alongside her waning daydream, finally allowing her to stand without nearly collapsing.
Without risking losing daylight, with her backpack slung across her shoulder, the wanderer began to trot along the narrow dusty road, the faint glimmer of lights could be seen at the base of a nearby hill. Taking a deep breath she reconciled with the fact that it was going to be at least a days walk, and by the looks of the falling sun, night was fast approaching.
SNAP!
Turning on her heel the now petrified woman drew her pistol, firing into the dusk, the deafening bang of the shot rang out across the wide, vast plain. Opening the chamber she counted her bullets, moving slowly towards the source of the noise, she once again lifted the weapon taking careful aim. As she held her breath, ready to fire the trigger she caught sight of what had been behind her. The bloodied corpse, or what was left of a corpse lay scattered across the dusty earth, its pink hairless skin and rat-like shape made the wanderer smirk,
"One problem solved." She muttered to herself, preparing to salvage some meat from the slain animal.
Happy with her takings she holstered her pistol and began to walk once more, gazing up at the now dazzling starlight above her. Smiling to herself she crossed her arms, taking in the majesty of the celestial light show above her, the smell of fresh bread filled her nostrils and the taste of cherries filled her mouth.
"Say you'll always love me." Came the voice of a young man, she couldn't see him, or anything for that matter.
Slowly her vision returned, she wasn't sure how but before her was a dimly lit town, the night owls retreating to their nests while the morning workers began to turn on bathroom lights. She was sitting on a picnic blanket, gazing out from atop a steep hill, she felt as though she'd been here before.
"Sweet pea?" The voice came again, this time more insistent.
She gazed slowly towards the voice, unprepared for the rush of emotion she would embrace by looking at the face of this man. Her eyes welled up, and yet she did not know why they did so.
"Don't cry cutie pie, you'll get me started and you know it." His folksy accent seemed to be straight out of a radio advert but it soothed her, she felt safe.
"I can't see my best gal upset, lets watch the shower!" He said, wiping the tears from her cheeks, his touch was like the gentle heat from the summer sun.
As he spoke he began to turn her towards the town again, laying back against the hill, holding her close. He muttered again about the light show, a shooting star burst across the echoing night, yet seemed to be falling from the sky itself. She sat up, watching the star as it plummeted towards the town, without even a moment to scream, the object exploded causing a mushroom cloud to flume into the air. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the heat wave to melt her to her very core, yet she felt nothing. A moment passed and she could no longer here the noises of the hill, rather she heard a stream. Desperate to cling to the fantasy she was reluctant to open her eyes, yet the distinctive click of a gun made her stop in her tracks. Moving with extreme care the wanderer opened her eyes and reached her own pistol, but before her hand touched the handle, a voice boomed.
"Now let's not get any ideas, eh sweet pea?"