I woke up in the middle of a road. I don't know how I knew it was a road but it called itself from the depths of my mind.

My vision was still blurry, I couldn't stop shaking and I felt like I had a radroach scurrying around in my head, eating up all my thoughts.

I looked at my surroundings.

Fuck, this was bleak.

Desert wastes as far as the eye could see, with the shells of old, tall buildings leaning against each other, as if for support.

At least, the ones still standing were. There were building frames all over the place.

There were pathways and roads that had been broken up and shattered.

I'd woken up at an intersection.

So, I knew what a road and an intersection are. What I didn't know was where I was, how I got here, or even my damn name!

"Sssssss". I heard the noise as I was wandering towards the remains of the bigger buildings.

I don't know why I was heading there, I just figured buildings equals people.

"Ssssss. Dude! Get over here!"

I looked around and behind a pile of rubble I saw a figure peeking out, waving desperately at me.

"Man, if you don't get hid right now, they gon' kill you!"

I looked around. I couldn't see anyone but I could hear voices, laughing and shouting.

There was enough of a sinister edge to them I did as the voice had demanded and went and hid behind the pile of rubble.

We peered out intently. A few moments later a group of five people walked into view ahead of us.

They were dressed like nothing I'd ever seen before.

They all wore tattered trousers. The three males wore nothing on their top halves except weird belts with bullets fastened into them.

The two females wore beaten bra type things and nothing else.

Their hair was shaven in all sorts of weird designs.

Except the one that seemed to be the leader.

He wore a helmet that looked like a welding mask.

They were carrying something.

To my horror I realised it was a woman! Naked, screaming and fighting but still a woman.

She was being carried face down, stretched out between four of them like a blanket.

Her feet were held by the two females while two of the males held her arms.

The one with the mask brought them to a halt.

He bent at the waist and brought his head to the womans.

He obviously said something because she started fighting even more.

The leader stood back, drew a sword that I hadn't noticed, and swung at the back of her neck.

My new friend looked away. He was obviously expecting her head to come off.

It didn't

It did, however, seem that her spinal cord had been damaged because her body went limp but she continued screaming with lung bursting desperation.

Another hit.

Then another

On the fourth swing the woman went silent. I didn't know if she was dead or merely unconscious.

It took a further two swings to separate head from body.

I watched in disbelief as they cut off her hands and walked away, waving at each other with her dismembered hands while her body and head lay where they had carried out this disgusting act.

"Raiders", muttered my saviour.

I waited until I was absolutely sure they had gone before picking my was across to the woman.

I knew her!

That is, I knew her face. I was sure I'd never seen her naked before.

Katie!

The name hit me like a physical force.

She was my sister!

I'd just watched my sister being murdered and it was only now I realised who she was.

I felt my mouth water fiercely. Then I lurched.

I don't know how long it was since I'd eaten but my stomach was obviously empty as I dry heaved for what felt like a good ten minutes.

When I'd calmed down enough, I carried her body back to where I'd been hiding. I was sickened by the fact the only way I could carry Katie's head was by her hair.

I set her down gently.

"Man, that is some fucked up shit", exclaimed the other man.

He had a lisp, so he actually said that ith thome fucked up thyit.

"This is my sister, Katie", I told him.

"I'm sorry man." He suddenly realised something, "Hey, I'm Jonesy, what's your name?"

I realised I still couldn't remember and said as much.

"Listen, Jonesy, I need to bury her. I can't leave her out here like this".

With Jonesy's help, we dug a grave.

Jonesy had an outfit that he gave me.

I was going to dress Katie in it when he stopped me.

"Naw, man. You need to wear that".

I looked at him in incomprehension.

"That blue romper suit? With that big '31' splashed on your back is nothing more than a beacon with a target on it. Its probably how the Raiders picked your sister out".

I changed myself into the pants and smock before changing Katie into my "romper suit".

We buried Katie and I sent a few minutes at her grave side.

To start with I was racked with grief.

Then I became consumed with anger.

"What are you gonna do?" Jonesy was looking at me curiously.

"I'm gonna find these bastards and kill them", I growled.

"You need to eat first", he chided.

I tried to ignore him and walk after those murdering Raiders.

Suddenly my body went weak and limp and I collapsed to the ground.

"Man, I warned you", came Jonesy's voice above me.