M.J. jolted awake with a gasp, his eyes snapping open to the thick gloom of the car park. He was shivering, his damp clothes clinging to his skin and muscles aching from having spent so long huddled on the concrete.
He didn't know how long he had been there, but it had been long enough to succumb to his exhaustion.
Isn't anyone looking for me? He wondered, drawing his knees up to his chest. Does anyone even know about this place?
Sniffing miserably, he raised a gloved hand and wiped at his eyes, swollen and irritated from crying.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
He tensed, his breath catching in his throat.
Footsteps?
He stared blankly ahead, hardly daring to believe his ears.
Those were definitely footsteps. Not the uneven, barefooted gait of a feral, but the smooth, booted stride of a human, and they were drawing closer.
Warily, M.J. lowered himself to the floor, peering beneath the vehicles beside him.
As he watched, a pale beam of torchlight shone upon the concrete, followed by a pair of polished boots he recognised as Brotherhood issue.
Dad must've sent someone to rescue me!
He scrambled to his feet, stumbling as he raced around the cars.
The light fell upon him and he winced, raising an arm to shield his eyes from the glare.
"Squire Maxson?" asked a deep, masculine voice. "Everybody's looking for you."
The light dropped to the floor and M.J. lowered his arm, blinking away the colourful afterimages that clouded his vision.
Before him stood a Brotherhood knight, donning stained olive-green fatigues over a black turtle-neck jumper. His dark hair was styled like the Elder's, the same way M.J. tried to style his, and the shadow of stubble framed his strong jaw.
"C-can you get me out of here, sir?" M.J. croaked, forcing himself to straighten his back and square his shoulders.
"That's why I'm here, Squire." The Knight replied with a nod. "I'm going to escort you to safety."
"Did you kill all the ferals?" he asked, nervously glancing into the surrounding darkness.
The Knight gave a small smile and shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, Squire. But if you listen to me and follow my orders, the ghouls won't be a problem. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." M.J. nodded, though he couldn't help but feel a fresh wave of fear knowing that the ferals wouldn't be far away.
"You'll be fine, Squire," the Knight promised. "I won't let anything happen to you. It'll just be like a field exercise."
As he spoke the Knight turned away, walking down a sloping road that led deeper underground. M.J. hurried to keep up, the light patter of his boots echoing in the oppressive silence.
"Did anyone come with you, sir?" He asked quietly, falling into step beside him. "Is my Dad or Mom coming?"
The Knight's lips quirked as he glanced down at the boy, the torchlight reflecting in his eyes.
"I'm here on my own," he replied with a shrug. "It's just me and the ferals down here with you. A friend of mine used to come down here sometimes, but… he doesn't come anymore."
"But why didn't you tell anyone you were coming down here? Or bring some backup?" M.J. frowned, watching as the Knight turned his eyes forwards, his lips pulling into a thin line.
"That's enough talking, Squire. I need you to keep quiet before you attract more ferals."
M.J.'s face blanched and he obeyed, drawing a little closer to his guardian as they continued forwards. Up ahead light poured through an open doorway, spilling onto the dusty concrete in front of a pair of empty elevator shafts.
The melancholy chime of a bell echoed from beyond and M.J. hesitated, clutching his arms and staring at the doorway apprehensively.
The Knight slowed to a halt a few paces ahead, peering over his shoulder at him.
"Is something wrong, Squire?"
"Just… did you hear that noise?"
M.J.'s eyes grew even wider as a man's voice echoed, carrying through the tunnels and carpark though the words were too faint to make out.
"Did you hear that?!" He hissed, his eyes darting between the Knight and the doorway. "There was a voice!"
The Knight chuckled softly, turning to face him with a faint smile.
"You know how Lancer-Captain Kells uses the tannoy aboard the Prydwen to make announcements?" He asked, watching as the Squire nodded in response. "What you're hearing now is a pre-war recording. It's been playing since the bombs fell..."
M.J. swallowed as the Knight continued forwards before following him towards the lit doorway.
The Knight signalled for him to halt just shy of entering the light, switching off his torch.
M.J. could see a pair of barriers with plastic wings up ahead, and a second doorway beyond those. A pair of lightbulbs illuminated the small space, though the doorway beyond was dark and foreboding.
The bell chimed again, the haunting sound raising the hairs on the nape of his neck.
"Passengers are reminded to keep their luggage with them at all times." The disembodied voice announced cheerfully.
M.J. shivered.
"Stay here, Squire." The Knight said quietly, glancing down at him. "I'm going to scout ahead for any hostiles."
"Wait! Don't leave me!" M.J. protested, reaching for the Knight's arm, though he smoothly stepped out of reach. "Ferals are out here! What if they come after me?"
The Knight sighed, slowly lowering himself so that he was level with the Squire's eyes.
"I need you to be brave," he began, his voice calm and even. "I promise Squire, I won't be gone for long. You have my word."
"But what if ferals come this way?" M.J. whispered urgently, glancing into the darkness behind them.
"You run and hide," the Knight replied simply. "If that happens, I'll come and find you again, got it?"
M.J. clenched his hands into fists, swallowing back tears as he nodded.
The Knight smiled again as he rose to his feet, raising his fist in salute.
"You do yourself and the Brotherhood credit, Squire. Your parents will be proud."
With a final nod, the Knight turned and walked through the doorway, just as the lights cut out.
M.J. gasped, cold fear flooding his veins like ice.
"Sir?" He choked, blindly groping through the darkness ahead of him.
The bell chimed again.
"Remember to report any suspicious activity to the nearest steward!" The tannoy called through the darkness.
"Sir?" M.J.'s voice trembled as he continued forwards, his hands finding only thin air, his boots shuffling across the floor.
"Sir?" His voice echoed strangely and he frowned, making to take another step…
"Squire! Hold!"
He froze as torchlight shone from behind him, casting his shadow against the opposite wall of the elevator shaft.
He gasped, stumbling backwards, away from the threshold he had almost crossed.
He turned, staring at the Knight who was standing a few feet behind him, his features faintly illuminated by the torchlight. His expression was unreadable, but the hollows of his eyes seemed darker.
"We need to keep moving," he said quietly, turning back towards the doorway. "Remember Squire. Follow my orders to the letter, be brave and keep quiet."
M.J.'s heart was still pounding in his chest, and his throat felt too tight to speak. He nodded mutely in answer, his breath clouding in the torchlight as cold sweat beaded his skin.
He walked almost nose-to-back behind the Knight, alert for the slightest hint of danger, when the plastic barrier hit him.
He almost jumped out of his skin.
He paused for a few moments, his shoulders heaving as he glanced between the plastic wing and the Knight who had continued towards the second doorway. As he passed through into the gloom beyond, M.J. hurried to follow, pushing the plastic aside.
He entered an old metro tunnel, dark save for a flickering circle of light on the platform. The tracks below were flooded, the filthy water casting refractions of light upon the walls. Concrete columns loomed around him, a carpet of rubble and trash littering the ground beneath his feet.
All was silent, save for an incessant dripping as water leaked from the tunnel roof, pattering into the pool below.
The Knight was standing in another doorway up ahead, his silhouette black against the dirty yellow light shining behind him.
As M.J. stumbled across the platform to reach him, his foot caught on a small chunk of concrete and sent it clattering away. He froze, holding his breath as it disappeared into the water with a loud plonk!
The light reflections rippled on the wall and somewhere up the tunnel, he heard a raspy growl.
"To me Squire! Quickly!" The Knight whispered, urgently beckoning as he retreated into the room behind him.
M.J. hurried to obey, taking greater care not to kick or trip over anything else.
A lone bulb illuminated the remains of a storage room, the floor slick with oil. Large, circular openings on the right hand wall led onto the water logged tracks, and the Knight was sheltering between them, silently gesturing for the boy to join him.
The moment M.J. reached his side, stones skittered in the tunnel beyond.
Leathery feet slapped against concrete as a ghoul drew near, followed by splashes as it waded into the water.
M.J.'s hands shook as he covered his mouth, his eyes fixed upon the nearest opening.
What if it comes in here?
The splashes grew louder as the ghoul advanced and he squeezed his eyes shut. Desperate to quell the rising terror within him, he began to count, falling back on his father's advice.
Twenty… Nineteen… Eighteen…
He tried to focus on the numbers, but his mind envisioned skeletal fingers curling around the wall as the ghoul rose from the water.
Seventeen… Sixteen… Fifteen…
He could hear it gurgling, the awful rasp of its breath…
Fourteen… Thirteen…Twelve…
A fetid stench assailed his nostrils and hit the back of his throat, causing him to gag.
The ghoul fell silent.
It heard me.
M.J.'s eyes flew open as the ghoul began to growl. He locked eyes with the Knight, his vision blurring with tears.
I don't want to die…
The Knight's expression was grim, the hollows of his eyes dark pits in his gaunt face.
"When the ghoul leaves, follow the tracks and wait for me in the train carriage. Understood?" The Knight murmured, leaning down towards him.
The stench grew stronger and water sloshed in the tunnel as the ghoul waded closer, somewhere just beyond the wall...
The lightbulb went out.
M.J. felt a cold rush of air and suddenly footsteps were echoing through the doorway, out onto the platform. He glimpsed the Knight dart through the circle of light, disappearing into the darkness beyond just as the ghoul shrieked.
He heard it splashing through the tunnel, the sounds growing fainter as it passed the storeroom, heading for the platform. Moments later he spied it through the doorway, lurching through the light in pursuit of the soldier.
He expected to hear laser fire, or some kind of struggle, but the sounds of the ghoul became distant, until all he could hear was the dripping of water.
He jumped when the tannoy bell chimed, followed by an announcement.
"Please do not tamper with the protectron stewards! Thank you!"
There was a buzzing sound above his head and he glanced up, blinking as the bulb flickered back to life. For a few moments he remained where he was, shivering from cold and fear. Then he slowly lowered his hands and took in a deep breath, forcing himself to step away from the wall as he recalled the Knight's instructions to carry on.
He moved to the first of the openings, warily peering into the tunnel beyond.
It was almost too dark to see anything. He could barely make out the murky water lapping at the steps leading onto the tracks, let alone anything else.
Chewing his lip, he glanced around the storeroom, seeking anything that might light the way, but found nothing.
He bitterly wished he had his torch with him.
Hunching his shoulders, he took a deep breath and stepped into the water. It rose above his knees, splashing with every step despite his best efforts to move silently. He could feel the train tracks and debris beneath his boots and silently prayed no ghouls were lying dormant underwater, waiting to drag him to a watery grave.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he perceived a large, serpentine shape dominating half the tunnel.
Is that a train?
The tracks began to slope upwards, the water gradually receding until he was walking on dry ground. As he rounded the nose of the train wreck, he caught sight of the tunnel ahead. It resembled a cavernous throat, illuminated by the ruby flashes of emergency lights set along the walls.
The bell chimed again, causing him to start violently.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, some trains may be delayed. We thank you for your patience."
He closed his eyes, exhaling heavily as he tried to slow his frantic heartbeat.
I have to stay calm… Keep a level head…
"Squire?"
He gasped, whipping around to find the Knight looming over him, little more than a dark silhouette in the gloom.
M.J. gaped at him silently, wondering how he had caught up without so much as a splash.
"Follow me," the Knight ordered, stepping around him to continue along the tracks. "There isn't much further to go."
How is he walking so confidently through the dark? Why isn't he using his torch?
The Knight paused a little ways ahead, turning to glance at him.
"Come along Squire. We don't have all day."
"…Yes, sir." M.J. whispered, his feet dragging on the concrete.
The Knight led him further down the tunnel, pausing when he reached a place where the train carriages had separated. To M.J.'s eyes, it gave the wreck the appearance of a broken spine. The Knight moved towards the empty doorway of the second carriage, peering inside before turning back to him.
"You should be safe enough in here, so long as you remain quiet and still."
"You're leaving me again?" M.J. choked, staring at him aghast.
"I'll return," the Knight replied, gesturing for him to climb inside. "There are more ferals ahead and I need to lead them away, the same as before."
"But what if they get you?" M.J. protested, keeping his feet firmly planted. "What if you don't come back?"
The Knight chuckled, the sound bitter and mirthless.
"I don't think you need to worry about that, Squire."
"But -"
"Never mind," the Knight interrupted. "Just climb inside and wait for me."
M.J. reluctantly obeyed, pulling himself inside. Entering the carriage was like stepping into oblivion. He could barely see his hands in front of his face, only able to perceive lighter patches of darkness that marked the windows and doors.
The floor was slanted, littered with rubbish and shards of glass that crunched beneath his feet. When he was a little ways inside, he stopped to wait for the Knight's return. He hadn't seen the soldier move past the windows, nor cross the doorway ahead him, but when he glanced behind him, the man was no longer there.
Releasing a shuddering breath, he crouched down and resolved to wait.
He looked ahead, peering through the empty doorway on the far side of the carriage. He could see the edge of another platform, bathed in a garish white light… and a hunched figure sat on the tracks beneath it, rocking on the balls of its feet.
For a few long moments, all he could do was stare at the hunched back of the abomination, taking in the sickly green pallor of its skin, the protruding spine and filthy rags that might have once been a dress…
Something small flew through the air by the ghoul, landing on the concrete with a dull clatter.
At once the abomination lurched to its feet with a guttural snarl, its head turning this was and that as it sought the source of the disturbance.
Another projectile flew, this time catching the ghoul on the shoulder. It released a deafening shriek, and M.J's eyes widened with horror as other feral ghouls raised their voices in answer, snarling and howling in response.
He could only watch as eight more ghouls lurched into sight, charging from the platform and onto the tracks without a care for the drop. He could hear them sniffing the air through the melted cavities of their noses, gargling and gibbering as they began to prowl the tunnel.
One came right up to the far door, its eyes glowing as it peered into the carriage, staring right at him…
A ghoul shrieked in the tunnel, and tall, misshapen shadows began surging past the windows as though in pursuit of something further down the tunnel. Or someone.
The ghoul disappeared from the doorway with a growl, its feet slapping the concrete as it followed its brethren.
Holding his breath, M.J. waited, watching as the last of the ghouls lurched from sight. The cries of the abominations gradually faded away, leaving him alone in an oppressive silence.