"God damned Wasteland," I muttered under my breath. "100º during the day, and damned near freezing at night." I had a big chunk of meat from the giant soldier ant I had shot earlier sitting over a small firing I had burning in front of me. Having this light was comforting, but terrifying at the same time, seeing as it shrouded everything else in pitch black. I looked out in front of me over the Wasteland that was swallowed in the night. The skyline of DC was visible in the distance, faded by dust and fog. It would probably be another two or three days before I made it there. I had already been walking for 2 days and was approaching the start of my third. My ammo supply was running low after wasting most of my bullets on various creatures that attacked me on my journey thus far. You Gais, Molerats, and even Giant Radscorpions had all taken a swipe at me. I was just praying I could make it the rest of the way.
I grabbed the stick the ant meat was stuck on and pulled it out of the fire. Despite its grotesque appearance, it smelled delicious. Probably because I hadn't had a decently cooked meal since I left. I pulled off a piece of the meat and stared at it. It was no five star meal, but it would have to do. I stuck the piece in my mouth and chewed it, letting the taste sink in. It tasted like puss wrapped in an old sausage, and had the consistency of pre-chewed bubblegum. I cringed at the horrible flavor and did all I could to hold it down. Once the first piece had settled I ripped off a second. However, before I could bite down, I heard a sound. There were footsteps behind me, walking in a very human-like pattern. I grabbed the Stealthshot and prepared to fight a raider, or mercenary who may have followed me. I stared into the darkness and saw a man walking towards me. His stumbling footsteps conveyed he was either injured or completely drunk.
"What do you want?" I demanded. The man's head propped up at the sound of my voice and he stared in my direction. I figured he knew I was here, due to the fire that lit up like a sore thumb in the dark Wasteland. It kept away most of the animals, but was very attractive to raiders. I reached down to my wrist and searched for the switch for my light. I lowered my weapon to find it and clicked it on. I aimed it at the man and hit his stomach. What I saw was horrifying.
The man's stomach was covered in tattered pieces of flesh that were falling off of his body. Tiny bubbles of puss and gunk were growing and exploding into clouds of noxious green gas. Shredded clothing covered some of his body, including a solitary piece of armor draped over his shoulders, almost like a collar. I worked the light up his body until it came upon his face. As soon as it fell on the demon's face it screamed in a wretched raspy voice. Its few remaining teeth were a dirty yellow and its one visible eye was solid white, with the pupil hidden behind a milky film. It lunged out of the darkness and tackled me onto the ground. Its touch was painful, like his skin was corrosive. I squirmed away from it as it repeatedly tried to bite at my flesh. As I was lying on my back I raised the Stealthshot, aiming for the beasts head. It stood up and got ready to jump again.
"Have fun in hell," I muttered as I squeezed the trigger. The bullet took off on its path and sunk itself into the creature's head. Then the bullet exited out the back of its skull and continued on its journey, taking a disgusting trail of green and red fluid with it. I took a deep breath and waited for the grotesque man to fall, but instead he rubbed his forehead and then looked back at me. His fingers snapped back and forth into claw-like positions as he stared at my body, which probably seemed like just another meal to him. I gasped at the sight as the man stepped back and then pushed off his foot towards me yet again. I yelled and braced for impact, when all of the sudden a loud bang occurred behind me. A cloud of bullets hurled over my shoulder and into the beast. Two, three more shots rang out, each one tearing more and more flesh away from the monster. Another shot slammed into the man's head, shattering it into thousands of blood-stained pieces. Finally the deformed man dropped to the ground, his skin still boiling in the darkness. I took some deep breaths and dropped the Stealthshot to the ground. I turned and looked behind me to see a man standing in the darkness, his face hidden in the shadows of my fire.
"Th… thank you," I barely mouthed out. The man nodded and stepped forward into the light. Immediately I grabbed the Stealthshot again and aimed it at the man's head, but managed to keep myself from pulling the trigger. Just like the creature before, his skin was torn and deformed and his eyes were a pale white.
"Well don't go trying to repay me all at once," the man said in a calm raspy voice.
"What the hell are you?" I demanded. The man chuckled and whipped his combat shotgun over his shoulder which fastened to a holster on his back.
"What? You ain't never seen a ghoul before? You grow up in some vault or something?" I lowered my weapon and the man sighed. "Look, I'm just some unlucky guy who spent too much time in radiation, alright? It turns you into this. Too much radiation and some ghouls go feral, like that one that attacked you." I looked back at the dead ghoul, still in shock. "You're lucky I showed up. Those ghouls are what we in the wastes call Reavers. They've absorbed more radiation than any other, their skin is just bursting with it. Would've taken more than a few shots with that pistol to bring him down." I nodded and tried to regain my composure.
"Who are you?" The man stepped closer to me and examined my uniform. He stared at the cryptic symbol on the chest-piece and then looked up into my eyes.
"Where'd you get that armor, boy?" I looked down at the armor and then back up at the ghoul.
"It's my father's. He constructed it with some girl named Reilly." The ghoul's eyes widened and he looked at the armor more closely. He returned his gaze to me and raised an eyebrow.
"Your father has aided Reilly… from Reilly's Rangers?" I looked at the ghoul and then glanced away.
"Reilly's Rangers?" I asked, unfamiliar. "I guess. It was some girl named Reilly who wanted to start a mercenary group. I'm looking for her base down in the southeast corner of DC." The ghoul nodded and took a step back.
"Then I shall join you on your journey. Reilly's Rangers have saved me more times than I can count back in DC. It's only fair that I try and repay them, by helping you return to their base. I think it's pretty obvious by this point that you might not stand a chance out here, kid. Once we arrive, I feel my debt has been repaid." I thought for a moment, and then glanced at the ghoul's shotgun. I didn't trust him, but I knew he would only give me a greater chance of finding Reilly, and my father.
"Deal. You help me get to Reilly's base, and I'll make sure you get something for your troubles." The ghoul nodded and put out his hand. I looked at it, and then back up at the ghoul's face. Slowly I extended my hand and shook his. "My name is Aidan Wolfe." The ghoul nodded and his grip tightened.
"Charon," was all he said.
