"Hey! MacCready!" Piper's shrill voice is coming from the other side of my door. I groan in response. "Get up, kid. Strong's heading to sleep". I get up, get dressed, grab my guns and head out into the morning sun. Another day, waiting for something, damn it, anything to happen.
"Can someone else wake me up from now on?" I ask her, rubbing the sand from my eyes.
"What's wrong with my wake up call? I brought you breakfast". She hands me a Nuka Cola and a half eaten box of Sugar Bombs.
"Alright, you can keep waking me up as long as you've got Nuka Cola for me, but I don't eat that crap". I light a cigarette, thank her and walk over to my post.
"I'll bring you some later, have fun today" she calls to me. Was that a joke? It had to have been. Have fun. If it was a joke, it was a good one because upon hearing it I let out a loud chuckle. If it wasn't, well, that chick's got her head so high in the clouds she's surpassed Hancock.
Hours pass. A scav comes through, just looking for some screws and asbestos.
A couple more hours pass. I saw a small pack of Raiders eyeballing us from afar - though they went with their instincts and stayed away. I almost wished they'd try to come in.
More time goes by, I've counted 3 Radstags passing.
The sun starts to set and I start to pack up my ammo and the rest of my gear, ready for one of Nate's Assaultrons to come take my spot.
Just as the bot takes up for it's shift I start to head to my little house to put my things away before I begin my after-work ritual of drinking and smoking with friends, forgetting about this void in my life and wishing I could go back 12 years. Everything was so simple in the Capital Wasteland, those were the best years of my life. I wish I never had to grow up. I wish that every second of my life. That goddamn cavern was my sanctuary, my family. I have to stop thinking, it just makes it worse.
Then I hear a scream.
Immediately I turn back around and remember, the day isn't over - Piper told me to have fun, didn't she?
I drop all of my gear except for my weapon, turn the safety off my rifle and run back to the entrance of the drive in. I step out of the doorway for the first time in probably four months.
I hear the scream again, followed by cries for help coming closer, faster.
I step out farther, adrenaline hasn't coursed through my veins in such a long time.
Then I feel it.
I feel the ground shaking.
Looking at the ground pebbles and rocks shaking from force.
In that moment, I know. I know there isn't much time.
I run back inside as fast as I can, screaming "BEHEMOTH".
I've only faced a Behemoth once, traveling with Nate - I had never been so afraid in my entire life. To this day I lie to him and say that I fell back, throwing all the grenades I had. Sure, I threw some. Until it got closer, and I hid. I sound like a kid, if it makes me less of a man so be it. But I ran as far as I could without getting too far from Nate and I hid. I was staring at certain death. It was right in front of me.
Danse was already to the roof of the drive in's building where they'd project the old movies, getting a Fat Man ready, then I saw her running from it.
There was a young woman, probably around mine and Piper's age, running for dear life. Terror was washed over her face - she was running so fast I'm surprised I was able to make out an expression. The girl was nearly a blur. I haven't seen that kind of horror in someone's eyes since...well.
"Hey! The entrance is here!" I yell as loud as I can to her, I pray she hears.
The young woman gets closer to the walkway and I'm not confident she heard me, I jump down from the lowest roof point, and I hear Danse, "Ready to fire!"
"Wait!" I can't let her be too close, she'll die, no doubt.
I run out. I'm probably running faster than the day I faced one of these bastards with Nate.
"Wait for what?! Firing in three.."
"Don't!"
She sees me running to her. Thankfully it's at least 15 feet away, Deacon had thrown a Nuka grenade buying us seconds, maybe a minute if we were lucky.
"This is the door hurry!" I yell to her, she runs right past me, flying through the entrance. I don't fall back though.
"…two.." I hear Danse.
I shoot at the thing and I don't stop. I'm yelling obscenities, words I haven't used in years. It gets closer, throws rocks at me, almost pinning me to the ground before it can smash me to bits and eat my limbs. They do eat people, right? I'd be surprised if they didn't.
"…one!" I run back as fast as I can, I have about 4 and a half seconds to get inside.
I just pass through the door, duck and cover, and close my eyes. I hear it, I've heard mini nukes go off before but never so close. I feel debris, flying dust and dirt beating my back, legs and hands and all I can think of is if everyone else is far away enough, and how much radiation I'm taking…and if there will be a consequence for it.
After a few moments, I don't feel anything, I don't hear anything, and I can't open my eyes…
