December 31, 2077

Finally left Green Oats today, I found it funny because as I was leaving I saw a "Don't Mess with Texas" sign. It's the little things that bring a moment of pleasure here in this shithole. Taylor is a happy dog and I'm glad I found him because I can't imagine having to take this perilous quest by myself.

Something however happened.

Before I left I stopped off at the firearms store in town. It looked mostly intact so I guessed there to be something inside. The door wouldn't open so I decided to see if there was a back entrance. I walked around the building until I found a fire exit. I turned the handle but the door was locked. I hadn't given up yet so I took out my trusty 10mm pistol and shot the door open. It opened with a slight creak. Taylor barked and he ran inside the place.

"No Taylor!"

I quickly ran inside to follow him. It was dark and I could barely see but I remembered that my Pip-Boy had a light so I turned it on. FLICK. It didn't allow me to see everything but at least I had some range of visibility. As I walked around the store I noticed something. In all the other stores I had looted everything was still there here, however everything had been taken. This gave me hope that humans had survived out here. While I didn't find everything I would have wanted I did find 40 rounds for the pistol, some extra microfusion cells, and a mine.

I saw the cash register so I walked over to take some money, and I noticed a safe right below the register. The terminal to open the safe was broken and I was about to leave it when I remembered my mine. I took it out and looked at it, it looked a little like a Jammy Dodger except bigger. I placed it on the safe and set it to explode in 10 seconds. I ran away and Taylor followed.

BOOM!

The safe broke open and I looked at the treasures inside. 5 Stimpaks, 2 Nuka Colas, piles of cash, 2 grenades and a key card. I took it all and placed it inside my bag except for the key card which I decided to put in my pocket. I was about to leave when my foot felt an odd shape. I looked at the floor and saw a carpet there; strangely enough Taylor was sniffing at it. I bent down and moved the carpet revealing a hatch. I tried to open it but it wouldn't budge, already my mind was racing with thoughts of what could be down there then I noticed a little slot by the hatch.

It looked large enough to fit a card inside. I took out the key card and slid it inside the slot. There was a brief buzzing noise and the hatch opened I could see a ladder that led down into pitch black. "Stay here" I told Taylor, he wagged his tail. I climbed down into the room.

I couldn't see shit so I turned on the Pip-Boy light, it didn't help much but at least I could somewhat see what was near me. I was in a room about as large as the Overseer's office and there were boxes everywhere stacked up. I looked in one and saw many cans of food; I checked other boxes and found that they had food too. I had struck the jackpot.

As I was placing the cans in my bag I heard Taylor bark. "Calm down boy" I said but I should have trusted Taylor's instincts. POW! Something had hit me in the head and I fell down. I could hear moving and something started to grab me and then I heard the sounds of Taylor barking then I heard a yell "Ow!" It was a human's voice but raspy. I got up and saw that it was indeed a human that had attacked me but then when he got close to me I saw his face.

He looked like a person but there was something seriously wrong with it. It looked like parts of its face and body had fallen off given it the unmistakable look of a zombie, like the ones you saw in films.

I was still getting over the shock of seeing it when I heard it speak.

"Who are you?"

I paid clearer attention to its voice and noticed it had a slightly female voice, it was a woman. I gulped and answered her.

"I mean no harm to you I was just looking for supplies, I'll just leave now."

"Kill me" she suddenly said.

"What?"

"Kill me! Please, I'm begging you my family and friends are dead I am not a human anymore I am a monster! I have nothing worth living for…please kill me." With that she fell to my feet and started sobbing.

I felt sorry for her but I didn't want to kill her, she was a person just like me. I bend down and tried to calm her down.

"Look I'm sorry, I really am but I'm not going to kill you. Everything will be fine I promise."

She stopped crying and looked up at me.

"If you won't kill me… then I'll force you to! Arghh!" She yelled with a growl in her voice.

She jumped on top of me and started to claw at my face, I tried to get up but she kept holding me down. She moved her hands to my suit and tried to claw at it. I remembered what the Overseer had said about radiation and I definitely didn't want to end up like that poor woman. I quickly socked her in the face and pushed her off. She got up quickly and yelled and unearthly scream then she ran towards me.

What I did next I will never forgive myself for. I quickly got out my pistol and shot her in the chest. She quickly fell down.

I dropped the gun and felt my hands shaking with horror at what I'd just done. Then I heard a soft wheezing, she was still alive. I walked over and saw her lying down trying hard to breathe. Her eyes were close to closing.

"Please", she groaned.

I picked up the gun from the floor.

"I'm sorry"

I aimed it for her head and pulled the trigger.

She breathed no more.

January 1, 2078

New Year.

I had taken a person's live and I will never forgive myself for it. I can't believe it.

After I killed her I left everything I had found in that room behind, before I left I closed her eyes. May she rest in peace.

I estimate that Taylor and I are now about 5 miles away from Green Oats.

Our journey continues on.