Book 2 Chapter 45: Scars

Book 2 Chapter 45: Scars

I passed over the rocky terrain, my bandana and goggles over my face. The mist and fog were slowly building as I walked. When Id first received the warning from Sampson about the fog, my first thought had been that my best option was likely to simply circumvent it. It would take longer, but I valued my sanity enough to take the time. Unfortunately, as I walked along the edges of the fog, for several hours, I realized it wasnt dissipating at all, nor even curving. Sampson had mentioned it was either in the center of it, or on the far edge. Based on the sheer size of the fog cloud, it was in the center. I stepped inside and made a beeline straight for the center. Sampson had mentioned that deadmen often survived travel into it, and if the bunker was anything like the others, Id likely have a reprieve from the fog once I managed to get inside. I could take time to recover, then make a trip back.

I was roughly a mile into the fog. It was colorless, and I smelled nothing that indicated any dangerous substances inside it, or anything living within it, but I stayed alert anyway, though my smell was slightly weakened by the bandana. After another few miles of travel, I saw a small house on my path. It looked familiar, but wanting to get through the mist as quickly as possible, I ignored it and kept walking. A few more miles later, I saw the house again. I stopped. Id definitely been moving in the right direction, and the terrain around the house was different, but the building itself was exactly the same. I recognized the shabby sheet metal roof, and could almost hear the sound of acidic rain hitting it as I struggled to sleep inside. I heard the baby crying.

I shook my head, and kept walking. The fog was affecting me, but I was closer to the bunker than not, and needed to press forward. Focusing on the path forward seemed to help, and I made it another few miles without seeing the house again. Unfortunately, while I stopped seeing things, I didnt stop hearing them.

She left because of you.

I gritted my teeth. I hadnt heard that voice in a long time. The scars on my back began to ache.

Youre a monster, and she couldnt bear the sight of you.

I kept walking, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, a habit Id developed around the first time Id been given this speech.

Look at me when Im talking to you, you little shit. New novel chapters are published on

I heard the sound of glass shatter and spun around toward it, drawing my sword and breathing heavily. There was nothing there. I reoriented myself, and saw him in front of me. He was tall, impossibly tall, hands scarred and callused. His eyes were green and angry, his lip twisted up in disgust at the sight of me, his hair was red, streaked with grease and dust, his beard wild.

All those marks does he not listen to orders? asked a large man wearing a greasy shirt.

Oh he does, but he follows orders better when you keep the beatings regular, he said, punctuating with another lash. I was ready for it this time, so I gritted my teeth, and didnt make a sound.

Alright, Ill take him. How about a pound of tobacco, and a hundred points?

Dealjust let me give him one more good beating, for old times sake.

I want him working soon.

Dont worry, he heals fast.

The lashings started coming faster, and fasters. I grabbed crazed deadman arm and threw it off me. Another of them bit into my leg, and I kicked her skull in. Another lash hit my back and I couldnt move.

Your mother had two monsters, said one of the deadmen in his voice. And you were so horrifying to her, that she chose to take your sister,and not you.

Another hit, another set of teeth biting into me, faces and places were blurring together until I was blinded and my senses completely out of control. I lost my sword, there were three of them on top of me, biting into me and starting to eat me alive. I felt my sanity slip, and felt a scream building, as the lashing continued. I let the scream out, but as a roar, and threw the deadmen off myself, breaking my restraints, I grabbed the man nearest to me, and bit into its throat, hard. Then everything went red.