Chapter 24

Wastelands

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Alternate Future Timeline:

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A Few Years Back In Time:

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Savannah urged Allison to run from the Scavenger compound.

Allison looked back at her.

"What's your name?" Allison asked.

Allison looked at her red hair.

"My name is Savannah."

Savannah watched as Allison ran from the compound.

It gave her time to reflect on her future while she waited for three hours.

As promised, no one followed Allison. She hoped Allison wouldn't stop and run until she could no longer move. Allison was just a kid. She deserved a chance to have a life and live. Being abused was one thing. Being abused by Scavengers was another.

Savannah knew her life was over. It seemed to have been over for half a dozen years. She waited for death to catch up to her. It was very elusive. She wondered why it hadn't. She knew it would be a welcome relief when it did. Her body was forced to provide pleasure to men, and even a few women. Her body was used in every way possible over the years.

Now she would need to do the things she'd promised to do, on her own accord. She'd been forced to become skilled at pleasuring males, and females too. Some of the Scavenger leaders possessed a 'leader's woman'. For all practical purposes it's what she'd just become. Her body, and every pleasure it could provide, now belong to another. She was a willing slave this time. She looked in the direction Allison ran from the camp. A single tear slid down her cheek. Maybe death would find her this time. She wasn't going to run from it anymore. She'd already run enough.

Savannah watched and listened to what happened around her as she waited. It made her sick. If the Scavenger leader kept his word, she shouldn't die today if she kept her promise. She told herself it was the best option. It was going to happen one way or the other, again. It happened before, and it happened many times. Now she was 'marked'. It would make all further abuse even more brutal.

She looked down at the charred and blistered flesh on her lower abdomen. It was raw and it hurt a lot. She was sure it would hurt more by tomorrow. She knew there would be no sleep tonight. Her last abuse was less than a week ago. The last time it was only one man. Usually, it was a group of three or more men. She'd gotten off easy on the last one. She touched the side of her head where his pistol had been pressed, as she was forced to lay there. She thought her assailant was going to become a 'double veteran'. She could tell when he was about to finish. It was when he would do it. She waited for the trigger to be pulled when he did. Instead, he simply pulled his pants up and walked away like nothing happened. It was still sore on the side of her head where he'd jammed the barrel of the gun. It was sore in other places too. Everything would be a lot sorer after tonight. She really hated it because she'd been born a female. She would rather have been born a rat or an insect.

Savannah knew what was coming next. She could hear the screams coming from the other hovels. More than likely someone would die. At that point, a body was tossed out from a hooch. It was a female. She was covered with blood. She didn't move from the crazy position she landed in when she'd been tossed out. They treated her like a piece of garbage and literally threw her away.

She looked around. No one cared. It was like someone threw out the trash. It was a woman she'd met a few weeks ago as they hid and tried to stay alive together. They both were abused by three men traveling together during that time. Now her fate looked grim, if not already terminal.

Two men from another hovel came over to her unmoving form. They both laughed.

One man kicked her in the side. She didn't move. They laughed harder.

The other man bent down and touched her.

"She's still warm." The first Scavenger said. "It's better than the last one."

They both laughed even more as they drug her unmoving body into their hovel by her hair.

One pulled a knife out right before they'd entered.

The two Scavengers joked and laughed about their 'collection'.

One was disappointed they wouldn't be able to hear her scream and beg to be released, or even to live.

Savannah looked away in disgust. Maybe she spared Allison from the same fate today. Maybe she'd only delayed it. It would happen soon enough. It happened to all the females, even the few grandmothers still alive. Age didn't matter.

She felt the bile rise in her throat but controlled it. It could be her right now. It would be her soon enough. To live through this was her only choice. If she was dead, she couldn't escape. Each day she submitted and survived, she was one day closer to escape and freedom. Maybe death was the real freedom in all of the madness. She hoped it was swift when it came.

She actually hoped the man last week would have become a 'double veteran'. Everything would be over. She almost asked for him to pull the trigger. It would have been lights on, lights off. She was sure there was nothing but darkness on the 'other side'. The darkness would be eternal peace. Nothing would matter. She wasn't really sure if anything mattered now. It didn't seem like it.

The messed up world she existed in was a Hell on earth. What was worse? Was it the machines or man? The machines at least didn't take pleasure in their destruction, man did.

The three hours went by Savannah bargained for.

She saw the leader approach. He looked almost cordial. She was pretty sure he may have even tried to fix himself up a little bit. He appeared to be very serious.

"The time's up." The leader said. "I kept my end of the deal."

Savannah stood to go with him. It would do no good to resist or fight. It never did. It only made it worse. The same events previously happened so many times, one way or another, she'd lost count. No. She didn't lose count. She didn't want to remember. She wanted to try to make the best of the situation possible. Hopefully it would delay a beating. They always seemed to come soon enough, even when she did everything she was told. She never could understand it. It seemed as if the violence was as big of a thrill for some of the men, as was the forced sex.

"I appreciate what you did. It took a big man to make a decision like you did. She was still a girl." Savannah said. "I've sold my soul to help her. I'll now do as you ask."

She could see him think of all the things he would do to her. Maybe he was deciding the order he would do them. She just hoped it would only be him. If she wouldn't have made the deal she made, it wouldn't be just the leader. It would be all of them. She'd already viewed the brutality unleashed on the others captured at the same time she was.

"Indeed you have, and yes, you will do everything I ask." The leader said.

The leader touched her body.

Savannah didn't resist. Resistance was futile.

The leader smiled.

"Follow me." The leader said.

Savannah obediently followed behind him.

They entered the leader's hovel. He actually paused at the door and let her go through first. It could have been worse. He could have picked her up and carried her through the doorway. It was a symbolic gesture she was glad didn't happen.

The hovel seemed very crudely put together from a bunch of scrap material. She could see it was a little better living condition than what some of the others in his group lived in.

She stood in the center of the confined space. Everything around her looked dirty. Then again, everything in the Wastelands looked dirty. There was a sense of doom to all of it.

The leader stood and faced her.

"Strip…." The leader said.

Savannah started to remove her clothing. She knew there were worse ways to be disrobed.

"Slowly…." The leader said. "I want to see a little at a time."

Savannah slowed undressing as she carefully set each piece of clothing down. At least this way they weren't ripped off her body. She'd be able to put them back on at some point.

She still hoped she would be able to escape. She didn't know how or when. It was always the goal. She needed to be alive to escape. To be caught in the Wastelands naked, would be a sure recipe for disaster.

Savannah stood naked before him. She didn't look down at the ground like she normally did. She looked directly at him. She wanted to establish a level of independence, even if it was imaginary.

The leader lightly moistened his lips as he looked at her

"Turn around." The leader said.

Savannah slowly turned in a circle as the leader leered at her. She felt his hungry eyes already starting the abuse. The only card left to play was herself.

"This may be the best deal I've ever made." The leader said. "I've never seen a body as fine as yours is. All of your hair is the same color. It's beautiful."

He gave her a few more commands.

Savannah did as she was told.

"Come here." The leader said.

Savannah walked up. It would start soon. She would try to let her mind drift, as her body was ravaged. She tried to let her mind escape the brutal abuse. She was beaten less if she didn't resist. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist it all. She would need to be a participant.

"You belong to me now. You're my property." The leader said. "I own you."

The leader looked at her brand. He gently touched it.

Savannah winced in pain.

The leader smiled. He was proud of the fact he was the first one to mark her. She would forever carry his brand.

"Please me." The leader said.

Savannah let out a long breath. It was time to pay the piper.

"What would you like, first?" Savannah asked.

His hungry eyes danced over her body. He planned to have her do a series of things first. The more he looked at her, the less he could resist. He wanted her now.

"I can't wait. Lay down on the mat." The leader said. "Do it slowly. I want to see everything."

She did as he asked.

The leader's eyes widened as he got a good look at her.

"Wow!" The leader said. "Look at that. Everything is the same."

Savannah knew the first abuse always went quickly.

The leader started to rapidly remove his clothing.

Savannah knew what was next. She only hoped there wouldn't be a beating to go along with it. She noted the knife in the man's belt. Her life was truly over. She doubted she would leave this Hell Hole alive. In fact, she hoped she wouldn't.

There were female screams from somewhere outside. She heard a gunshot. The screams ended instantly in another hovel.

'They've already killed another one of them.' Savannah thought. 'I must do this to survive. If I fight back, I'm dead. If I'm dead, I can't escape. If I'm dead, I can't fight.'

The naked man stood over her.

"Make yourself ready." The leader said. "Make it seem like you enjoy it too. You'll want to keep me happy."

Savannah did as she was told. She kept telling herself to just let it happen. She knew it would be over in a few minutes, if even that long. Then he would want more. Then the other things would start.

The leader was actually pleased he didn't need to beat her first. He usually took some pleasure in it, especially if he could hurt them. The girl was as good as her word so far. She didn't whimper or protest. She didn't say anything. She just did what he told her to do.

"This will be the first time I haven't had to take it by force." The leader said. "No female, or male, has ever done this for me like this."

Savannah thought it was more a matter of interpretation. What she was about to do wasn't her choice at all. If she resisted, she would be beaten, abused, tortured and killed. The threat of violence and force was still there. She didn't want any additional physical injuries.

"Please don't hurt me anymore." Savannah said. "I'll do as you ask. We made a deal."

Savannah saw the leader was 'ready'. She took some relief in the fact he was small. He moved toward her. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

An explosion shook the hovel. One side collapsed inward. Debris fell upon Savannah. She covered her face and rolled over onto her stomach, as the poorly constructed wooden wall collapsed and pinned her down. It was completely on top of her. It covered her.

She tried to move at first but stopped as the gunfire started.

Savannah could hear gunfire all around her. She decided not to move from where she was.

There were screams from both men and women between the bursts of gunfire.

The shooting finally stopped.

There was a loud 'crunch' sound near her head. She only moved her eyes to look.

She could see a bloody metal foot through a gap.

She stopped breathing.

'At least it will be quick when they find me.' Savannah thought.

The bloody metal foot moved on.

She slowly took another breath. She tried to breathe as shallow as possible.

She heard crashing and thumping sounds for about half an hour. A lone male scream shattered the silence. The sounds drifted away. She laid there the rest of the day and night. She was still covered with rubble. She knew she was injured because of the new pain she now felt. She hardly felt her burn wound anymore. Fear hung over her.

All she felt was terror and 'death'.

It was almost dawn. The night screamed at her with silence. She tried to stay motionless.

Savannah clawed her way out. Her injuries were mostly superficial, but hurt greatly. She received a few big bruises and several new cuts.

She found her clothes and put them on.

The leader was lying outside the section of the shack which still stood. His skull was crushed and there were bullet holes in his back. She found a pistol lying in the dirt next to him. She picked it up. She briefly considered using it to end her suffering. If the same things were going to happen again and again, what was the point? This is living?

She looked around and took some supplies, food and water.

She was alive. She'd survived. Everyone was dead except her.

The scar the branding would leave, would be a constant reminder of the day she traded her soul for a girl's life. It was a small price to pay. A Terminator canceled her debt. It remained unpaid. She'd gambled and won, this time.

Each day is a new day.

She knew it was better to be alive than dead.

Hope.

She would survive at all costs.

Now she was going to take the advice she'd given to Allison.

She was going to run until she couldn't move and never look back.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

This Is Living ?

STOP
LOOK around you - LOOK
LISTEN - what do you hear ?

This is 'living' ?

Is THIS all there is ?
Is THIS what you want ?
Is THIS enough ?

This is 'living' ?

Sleep - nightmares
Get up and work hard to survive, suffer
Find shelter - sleep - nightmares

This is 'living' ?

Sleep - wake
Eat - generate waste
What's the point ?

This is 'living' ?

WHY ?
What's all THIS for ?
TELL ME !

This is 'living' ?

Today is Yesterday
Yesterday is Tomorrow
Tomorrow is Today

This is 'living' ?

There's no FUTURE
There's no PAST
LOOK - it's all NOTHING

This is 'living' ?

Insects infest the Earth
Humans are the Insects
Terminate them all

Nobody