Chapter 3: Red Light
It's so cold tonight. I feel like my fucking lips are going to fall off.
It's always bizarre watching Evangeline sleep. Yeah, she may get scared of things she sees around Commonwealth, but she doesn't understand it. To her, there was no bomb. There are no ghouls. There is no murderous brother. All she sees is flashing colors. All she hears is loud sounds.
Tonight we're sleeping in an old diner toward one of the smaller bridges in the city. Whatever god brought the war upon us must have felt bad, because when we got here there was some purified water and sugar bombs on the counter. Thanks, dick. Managed to do one thing right.
Evangeline constantly rolls over in her sleep. It's so annoying. There are times I just want some goddamn peace and quiet and she never let's me have that. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just toss her off the bridge and focus on myself... but know that I'd spend the rest of my life hating myself. I try to cast out these intrusive thoughts as much as I can, but sometimes it's hard. Does it make me a bad person? To want to survive? There's no denying that I'd be faster on my own. I would have gotten more than half of that water. I would have gotten that entire bag of sugar bombs. Then I look down at her face and realize that she didn't ask for any of this. She didn't ask to be brought into this world. I didn't either... but my dad watchee out for me and that made it worth living. That's why I'm going to be here for her. Even if it kills me, I won't leave you Evangeline.
The morning air is especially crisp today. Almost like winter. I can feel the mucus in my nose drying up.
"Evangeline, put that down." I say as I see her picking up a human foot.
She throws it, irritated at me.
The city is so quiet right now. The raiders sleep. Super mutants have retreated in their hovels. Ghouls haven't been disturbed from their slumber, yet. The deathclaw comes right toward us-
"Fuck me."
I can see a deathclaw moving toward us. We're far enough away that it hasn't noticed us, but the second we move it will know we're here.
I can hear Evangeline laugh. Sploosh.
I slowly turn my head and see Evangeline sitting in a puddle of water.
"Please don't cry. Don't cry. Don't fucking cry."I swallow, hard. I can already see her cheeks moving. She's going to cry.
As fast as my underfed body allows me, I lean down and scoop her up in my arms. Behind me, I can hear the monster screech and I know he's got us in his sights.
Slamming my bare feet against the ashy streets I sprint down one of the roads. Not fifteen feet down and SNAP-Pain shoots up my body. The only thing I could do was fall to the ground. I feel Evangeline fall through my arms. She crashes to the concrete. The only thing I can focus on is the bone sticking out of my leg.
The deathclaw's heavy feet get closer. He smells my blood. He hears Evangeline's wails. I can't do anything. We're going to die.
I deag my limp body across the street, scraping my stomach againdt broken glass and debris from a demolished building. I reach out and hold on to Evangeline, pulling her close. If that sick fuck thinks he's getting my sister, he'll have to rip me to shreds first.
The deathclaw rounds the corner. I shift my body and propr myself up to look at it. It's mouth drools green slime. It's claws, longee than my forearm.
I love you Evangeline. I love you dad. I'm sorry I couldn't keep her safe.
"GET DOWN. NOW!"
I look across the street. A man stands holding a heavy machine gun. In an instant the barrel begins to spin, releasing a barrage of red lights from it's tip. Faster than I coild even count they bombard the Deathclaw only a few feet from where we were.
"OVER HERE YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" He shouts.
Now angered, the Deathclaw shifts his attention to the man. With one leap, he crosses the street. The man retreats into the nearest building. The last thing I saw of the deathclaw was his elongated, clumsy tail smack my skull into the concrete.
Everything's fading to black.
My name is Leon Harbor and... I think I just died.
