It's funny, how hardship changes one's perspective.
One minute, everything was going well. Snow, the bastard, was about to get strung up and gutted for everyone in Panem to see. The rebellion was riding its high horse, seemingly to the moon while those arrogant fucks in the Capitol were gonna get what they deserved. All the slimy, white-coated bastards along with em'. It wouldn't go like the last time they said, not after we bided our time underground for 75 years. 75. Years.
That all changed when that bitch put an arrow through Coin's chest.
I still don't know why she did it. Revenge, Envy, Greed?
It didn't matter now.
Things went from bad to worse when Paylor got it to, some sort of revenge bombing by capitol radicals. Details on that one are still fuzzy, but it doesn't do much good to reminisce on "better" times. Back when we thought we had won, when we thought when we had thrown off 75 years of oppression from a distant cabal of greedy, hedonistic sadists.
Not when I haven't eaten in 2 days.
The three of us stood on the edge of a ridge, wordlessly observing some sort of walled campgrounds.
The person beside me, a youngish looking man with a pair of thick black glasses and messy brown hair glanced my way. He would've looked like a stereotypical egghead if it wasn't for the black combat gear and rifle slung across his back. He was surprisingly tough for such a shrimpy looking fella.
"This the place?" Edwin asked, his eyes nervously scanning the small lakeside settlement, wisps of smoke lazily rising from one of the four cabins. The "Lake" likely resembled a puddle for most of the year, the surrounding landscape largely dry and arid.
"I sure fucking hope it is, every map we've got points here." I replied. The dull ache of an empty stomach stretched my patience to a breaking point. Frankly, I was surprised this place was notable enough to even show up in print. The bangs of my normally shortly-cut black hair was starting to creep into my vision, and I hated it.
"Are we sure there isn't anywhere else? we've never even been outside the districts, how can we expect to know our way aro-"
"If your so curious go and find out!" I snapped, "I'll blow open those gates by my self if it means we'll have food in our stomachs."
"Ease up Colsten, we need to do this clean, don't want any more surprises before we make it to D-7." Tallon piped in with his trademark drawl, leisurely strolling forward to observe the quaint little pip of civilization. He was on the stockier side, with a sharp jawline and hawkish nose that gave him an air of silent regality. Until he opened his mouth, that is.
I was a soldier, once. Fighting alongside others who desired nothing more than freedom and liberty, an escape from the oppressive talons of the Capitol and that rat-bastard Snow. It all fell apart so fast.
Oh, how naïve I was. Now I'm nothing more than a pathetic scavenger, all that death, all that pain, for what...?
Now it was just Me, Tallon and Ed, a bunch of wayward killers lookin' to scrape by. Any semblance of order or authority collapsed when Paylor got taken out. Capitol was already decapitated while disputes among rebel leadership quickly turned into a free-for-all brawl for power. The areas between the districts quickly turned into some sort of "No mans land" after central authority collapsed. Not like it was much better off beforehand. Districts were suddenly on their own as cooperation between them broke down in the absence of the Capitol's tyranny. Starvation soon became a common sight within the less self-sufficient districts.
Its already been a month.
Like I said, from bad to worse.
"Alright, we're gonna hit from the west end, move along that ravine for as long as possible. I doubt these folks have any serious firepower, but don't take chances. Try to scare them off it possible."
I snorted, mercy didn't have much meaning out here, not anymore. Tallon still insisted on sticking to his guns though. You almost respected his stubbornness. He was one of those bleeding-heart types, even had the nerve to try to capture peacekeepers back when 13's army wasn't just a passing joke. Most goodwill had been lost by the rebels at that point, especially once we started running into the pods. Those death machines that sick bastards had cooked up for years. We lost a lot of good people to those things, but we repaid them in kind for every loss.
We quickly began moving along the ravine, making an effort to stay hidden behind the rows of dead plants and jagged rocks. My training kicked in as we all fell into a single file, rapidly scanning ahead for anything that even resembled a threat. We may have nothing in the way of food, but our guns gave us something vital.
Power…
You'll never be powerless again…
It's kill or be killed out here...
The Ravine ended about 40 or 50 meters away from the edge of the encampment. My eyes darted between the makeshift watchtowers.
There was nothing.
"I don't see much in the way of movement…" Ed whispered, "Didn't see from the ridge either…"
"Realllllly?" I retorted, irritated by his stating of the obvious. We've been observing this place for an hour now.
Ed held his tongue, merely shooting an annoyed glance my way before turning back to the camp.
It wasn't just other humans you had to worry about these days, so many mutts and other such lovely creations of Panem got loose when the Capitol fell, scattering them across the already hostile wildlands between the districts. That, and the more "natural" mutants. They were always more dangerous at night, when you couldn't see them coming without some sort of night-vision, and even then that wasn't a guarantee either.
"Alright, I'll move in first, you two cover me, Ed you'll go next." Tallon ordered, quickly laying out some semblance of a plan. Tallon was always the "Idea" guy. His former status as a Rebel Corporal gave him at least some credibility.
I quickly went prone, keeping the walls between my sights as Tallon scurried ahead, glancing back and forth between the towers while Ed covered my rear. The towers built into the walls would have some excellent sightlines, perfect for blowing the brains out of anyone who tried to approach.
Still, nothing.
Soon it was Ed's turn, then mine. We were soon all braced against the wall of wooden stakes, slowly moving forwards towards the puny looking gate placed squarely between two guard towers.
"Don't hesitate to pop someone, if they won't give anything up, we take it..." I whispered.
I don't like this…nobody would go without at least a single guard, not out here.
Tallon hesitantly put his hand on the oak-wood gate, pushing forward as the aged construction began to creak and scrape. The gate was eventually completely swung open, slamming against the interior wall with a harsh snap. Our little gang of newly minted raiders cautiously advanced, sweeping our barrels across the interior of the settlement.
Inside was a cozy little campground. Four sturdily built wooden cabins lined the wall, while several tents, makeshift shelters, and brick sheds were scattered along the inside. A small well and campfire pit was the cherry on top. Signs of recent activity were abundant, embers remained in the fire pit, bowls of food sat on tree stump tables, a trickle of smoke flowed from one of the cabins. A faint, somewhat sour smell drifted within the camp.
Where is everyone? This place can easily hold a dozen or two…
"Fan out, keep your weapons free and eyes up, we'll start with the smoking cabin…" Tallon whispered, his nerves somewhat shaken by what seemed like a recently abandoned campground.
I gripped my rifle, slowly stepping towards the cabin, my eyes locked on the single doorway leading into the structure.
"I swear to god, if something jumps out at me..." I growled under my breath. My eyes taking in the details of the doorway.
Those are scratches on the handle…
I quickly raised my gun, nodding towards Ed, who quickly moved to the other side of the doorway. Tallon stood a few meters away, ready to blast anyone who tried to blindside us.
Wordlessly, I held up three fingers, counting down.
Three…
Two…
One!
Ed's rifle cracked twice, blowing the handle off before I kicked in the wooden doorway. The door swung open violently, revealing the building's interior. A sickening smell rushed from the interior of the cabin.
Jesus…fuck…
The Floor was lined with bodies. Not just adults, children and Infants lay sprawled along with them, along with a handful of animals, pigs and dogs mostly.
Ed glanced inside, only to quickly turn away, covering his nose, a choked sound coming from him. I kept your gaze on the carnage, my eyes widening as you counted more and more bodies, eventually giving up due to the sheer size of the pile. Flies had already started to fly around the corpses, already feasting on the likely warm bodies. There had to be at least two-dozen cadavers crammed into this place.
"What the…fuck! Did the Mutts already make it this far out?!" Tallon exclaimed, frantically looking around the camp, his eyes disturbingly wide.
Shots to the head…
"Tallon…" I piped up, "Look at their heads, single shots."
Every corpse had a hole blown into it's skull, dried blood caking the entry and exit wounds, staining the once-pristine wooden floors.
I turned back to him, a twinge of disgust on my face.
"Other people did this."
He silently returned my stare, his face revealing his concern.
A howl broke the silence.