Made It

At the little oasis off the highway, I was starving and looked at those bugs around the pool with food on the mind. I've eaten bugs before. Yeah they kinda suck and taste gross, but they're a great source of protein. I won't gross out anyone with details, but I gathered up enough for sustenance and I'll leave it at that. Once I was full (of bugs), I scooped up a great cup of water and sprinkled some RAD-X tablets in it courtesy of the Slavers. The night wasn't cold like all the others, so I rested a lot easier this time next to the tiny oasis. I slept for a couple hours, but then randomly awoke. It was still dark, and I forgot what I was dreaming about.

After eating a few bugs crawling on me, I sat there thinking. Redding was still another 45 miles away, and I didn't really like sleeping out in the open anymore. It kinda lost its charm after my time Inside Klamath, so I wondered how to get there quicker. I wished I had one of those flying machines, but then I remembered how it crashed. Then, I wished I had a ghost truck, but then I remembered how it disappeared… Probably back to the netherworld? Then, I realized something! I had the first aid box. With that realization, I pulled it out of my pack and opened it up on my lap. Underneath the wraps, splints, and bandages, there were the radiation drugs, stimpacks, and what was this? I held up a syringe that had a label around it that read:

Warning! Substance PXA23455O "Psycho"
Property of the US Army

This product is a FOR COMBAT USE ONLY Stimulant. Insert hypodermic needle into left arm median cubital vein and slowly press the plunger until completely suppressed. Preferred application by designated Field Medic/Corpsman

Note: This stimulant should be used BEFORE Combat Engagements for increased combat effectiveness under fire. Do Not Mix with Alcohol

Side Effects MAY Include but are not limited to:

- Increased Rage and Frustration (Could Last over 24hrs after use)
- Sensations of Invincibility
- Rapid Heart rate
- Numbness of the Limbs
- Paranoia and or "Angry Euphoria"
- Complete numbness to physical pain.
- Death

Special Note: This product is still classified "Experimental." Side Effects usually last between 10-14 hours after use (Unless dead)….

There was a lot more in very small writing, but I was sold! I heard about this stuff from some of the trappers. Apparently, some of the raider gangs I'd only heard about love using "Psycho." I had a bad experience with some mushrooms I found a while back that made me hallucinate. I hate hallucinating, but the label didn't mention anything about that! So, I took the cap off the needle and injected myself in the cool early morning/night air. Once all the "Psycho" was in me, I sat back against the tree and packed up my things. Once I was done packing up, it was still what looked like 2am and I opened up my watch. I couldn't read it because it was so dark. Almost instantly, I felt the frustration that the Psycho label mentioned. I angrily dug through my pack for one of my lighters and whipped it out. I held the flame in front, showing that it was in fact 2am.

I shouted at my watch, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY IT THE FIRST TIME!? MAKING ME DIG THROUGH MY FUCKING PACK!"

In an angry rage I threw the rest of my things in my satchel, stomped on the watch until it broke, and ran back to the I-5.

I ran down the road white knuckling my rifle's grip. I was so angry about… something? I ran down the road and felt the drug take over more of my body as my limbs went numb. I ran so hard and fast, but nothing hurt. The pain blockage was almost like a stimpack, except now I just wanted to kill something! I remember practically limping towards the little oasis from the days of walking, but now there wasn't an inch of my body that hurt. I even tripped in a pothole that sprained my ankle, but I didn't feel it.

Belly full of bugs and decontaminated water, and veins full of anger; I ran straight into the day. I saw the world the same way as normal, but with a light red filter, and Oh Man I wanted to kill or bring tremendous pain to something. I ran full of utter rage for hours, starting at 2am, and seeing my first prey at around 8am; I took a detour. I caught a glimpse of a large radscorpion in the trees. Within minutes, I ran at it face first, breaking the silence of calm wasteland with my machinegun. The thing skittered around in panic, but I blasted at it until the beast was lifeless. 1 full magazine, gone.

I guess I thought the monster banged my mom during the high because I drew my knife, stabbing and hacking at the corpse for thirty minutes after it was dead. During my drug induced rage, some common sense seeped in and I began to carve off bits of meat I knew were edible, shouting profanities the whole time. Once my pack was bursting at the seams with scorpion meat, I sat with my back against the mutilated creature for a moment.

There, I experienced that "Angry Euphoria" stated on the label. After resting against the beast, I watched the blood drip from the knife and closed my eyes feeling the most peace I'd ever felt in my life. I felt so calm, but there was a sinister grin I couldn't stop making, even as I stuffed bits of scorpion meat into my mouth.

I said out loud, in a way one would do to a puppy, "There's still more stuff to kill!"

But, still feeling angry, I sprinted back to the I-5 and down the road for another hour until I saw the sign, "Redding 10 Miles" I must have started coming off the Psycho because a genuinely happy feeling began to blend with the rage and it was only 9am. More sane thoughts came back and I wondered how I got here so fast. I couldn't believe I angrily sprinted almost 35 miles in only 7 hours! Of course, I spent over a half an hour mutilating a monster that I wouldn't go anywhere near as a sober person. Regardless, I was so happy knowing I'd be there by evening.

A few hours of casual, but still angry walking went by and I was standing at a high point on the old road. There it was, Redding! I tried to climb on top of a truck to get a better view of the town, but I slipped. As soon as I hit the ground, I instantly felt the numbing effect of Psycho leave my body, and felt the pains of days of walking, constant sprinting, and even my sprained ankle. All of which hit me like a brick. It was true, the effects were wearing off, and I was in the most pain of my life.

I dropped my rifle when I fell off the truck and quickly scrambled for a way to end the pain that relentlessly hounded every nerve of my body. I looked for the rifle to blow my head off, and end the pain that way, but noticed my pack was closer. Tearing open the top, I ripped out the First Aid Box, fumbled for a stimpack, and shot the fluid deep into my blood stream.

I laid there with my belongings scattered all around me on the ruined highway outside Redding as the sun was setting. I felt the miracle fluid of a stimpack slowly repair my body, and I stared up at the sky thinking, "I made it."