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[MRtrader]

Edit(part 2 and 3 now posted below...)
Part 1:
Jack had not eaten for a month now. All his supplies gone. It was a good thing his rucksack was so empty for he could not carry a ounce more. His binocolours dangled around his neck. Many times he had considerd to throw it away. But it might be worth a trade he reminded himself.

The sun was injecting its fiery needles on his forehead right trough the piece of white cloth he had wrapped around his head. the road he walked on continued to feel like a hot plate. Still he felt himself phaseing out every now and then. His body went on like a machine. Crack. Creeck. His black sneakers made a unhealthy sound.The hot road continued to go on straigth without end it seemed. In the distance he could see the hot air wavering above the road. Was that a building?

A gun shot interuppted his sneakers creaking. Jack froze. He could see shapes moving near the building. Quickly he dropped to the floor and rolled off to the side off the road. His body protested by making him painfully aware he had almost no stamina left. He crawled behind what appeared to be a dead plant of some sort. He pulled out his 9mm gun and reminded himself that he had 5 shot left. No shots followed.

Jack gazed through his binocolours. Two vechicles were parked near a building from before. They had extra armor plating and what looked like bones and a skull attached to the hull. Then his gaze fell on a person wearing some kind of makeschift armor with shoulder pads. His nose and mouth coverd with black cloth. This person was obvisously standing gaurd with a shotgun in his hands. Two other armed figures exited the building. One had a mowahak the other was bald. Raiders.

They jumped into their veichles. And with roaring engines came his way. Jack ducked his head behind the dead plant hoping not to be seen. The veichles drove by him and soon the noise from the engines dissapeared in the distance.

A corpse with tied hands was sitting upright against a wall. It was a old man. Jack stood their for a minute not moving and taking up the scene inside the building. After walking to the building he had expacted someone to be dead. Just not a old man. Old people were really rare these days. And this one had a white beard. If they hadn't shot the man he would have walked right into the raiders. Why was the man tied?

Jack checked it's pockets. Nothing. the old man did wear some classy shoes for walking.

Jacks small campfire lit the room. He'd rather not make one but it got really cold out in the wasteland after dark. He was already used to the new shoes. To his surprise he had found a small key in one of the shoes. Jack was still wondering about why they had bothered to tie the old man up. Then it struck him. He must have hidden some supplies.

It took him 2 hours to find it. It had been hidden under a pile of rubble. It was heavy. He lifted up a large sack with two makeshift straps on it and put it near the campfire. He emptied the sack on the floor.  2 cans of old food rolled out. A metal box with a lock on it thumped to the floor. A black metal tube of some sort fell near the box. He immidiatly reached for one of the food cans. It depicated a smiling drawing of a dog. Luckly it had a pull lid. for he had no opener on him.
It tasted so good he almost fainted. After emptying the first one he quickly finished the second one. Feeling envigorated with a big grin on his face he reached for the metal box. The key fit and he opened it.

part 2 coming up

[Ox-Skull]

You've got me intrugied.

[jonny rust]

mystery box!
(subscription post)

[Gimper]

Very suspensful. awaiting part 2....

[Gimper]

Are you even working on part 2? Lol

[MRtrader]

yes i am actually but ia m also working on this and that

[MRtrader]

It contained a photo of a scantly clad female. She looked beautiful and was probably from before all this. Which should be worth something, or he could keep it. He found a scrap of red paper with ‘red turkey’ and ‘vault Zebra ’ written on it. A red dice which he pocketed. And lastly a strange wrapped in protective cloth a computer part. It seemed important so he kept it inside the metal box.
For a moment he was puzzled by what he had found. Clang. The metal black tube had rolled against some metal debris. He picked it up. Why would the old man carry a tube around? It was too short to use as a weapon. There were screw ridges on one end. Then he got it. It was a silencer. He quickly put it on his gun. It fit as a charm. Would it affect his aim? He wondered. He shrugged and unscrewed it.
He yawned. “Time to sleep a little” he mumbled. It had turned dark outside. He pulled out a wire and some twigs from his backpack. Quickly and determined he made a noose and set up the thirty twigs in such a way that any small creature would have to go through only opening he had left to reach the corpse. The noose wire would be waiting. He stepped outside of the building and a full moon and starlit sky greeted him. He had seen it so often he no longer cared for it. He went behind the back of the building and made his little camp there. The little blanket he had would barely keep him warm but he didn’t have anything else. He kept his gun in one hand and his red speckled knife in the other.
He was sure he wouldn’t sleep again.
Something small crawled across his leg and woke him up. He jabbed his knife and skewered a pretty big bug that was trying to crawl under a rock. The sun had just set. So he had slept.  He shrugged.
“I guess that’s breakfast’ he croaked with a broken voice and dry lips. Quickly he took a sip from his plastic bottle. ”Just one more gulp”.
he stood up and for a moment the world tried to roll around in his head. He didn’t feel so good. Hopefully he wasn’t getting sick.
Then he thought of the trap he had set. The way his luck was turning it might just have something.
He packed his dusty towel he had used as a blanket and geared up. He pulled out his knife and went around the white small building. He looked inside. His knife almost dropped
With a pale face he gasped and put his back against the building and pulled his gun. For a moment his legs refused to do anything and just stood there legs trembling. Then he thought of what he had to lose. He stepped inside.
To be continued…

[MRtrader]

part 3
Blood splatters, bones and pieces of meat everywhere. The corpse had disappeared and his trap was smashed. He could see a strange animal print of blood on the floor. He didn’t recognize it from any animal he knew. The old man had been shredded to pieces. He ran from the building. Fully expecting that some kind of monster would jump him any second he ran across the road. It took him a few moments and a good distance from the building to calm down.
He kicked a rock off the road. His self image of a though guy was in shambles . The rock flew against a road sign. Chestnut village it read. He had never heard of it. Someone had painted “looters will be shot but traders welcome” across the text that told him how many miles it was. Civilization at last, or what was left of it.  Hope and fear fought in his mind but in the end his hungry and thirsty self won. He stepped up the pace. When the village came into sight he could see it was barricaded all around and a watchtower had been erected. He felt awfully unsecure walking across the open ground. But he was hungry and had some stuff to trade.
“Who the fuck are you? And how did you get so close!” A man shouted at him from the watchtower
He had somewhat expected this and raised his hands slowly
The man had a scoped rifle which looked like it had seen many battles. Unlike the man who wielded it. Surprisingly he wore glasses which he quickly pressed better onto his nose. The man had a strange outfit of patched up clothes.
“I’m just one man hungry and thirsty with some stuff to trade”..
For a moment the man with the rifle said nothing. “And how do I know that?  What’s your name?”
“It’s Jack. Err. Nice to meet you”
“Listen scum if you think…” the man said looking over the barrel of his rifle. “Malcome what’s happening is there someone at the gate?” a woman’s voice sounded. In a few seconds a woman appeared in the watchtower. “Silence, let the me handle this Nova”. “Morning lady”. Jack said cheerful to her. It had been a while since he had seen a woman. She had blond curls and bright eyes with wrinkles.  “Ah c’mon Malcome I can see from here he’s hungry and thirsty, would a spy come here half dead on our doorstep.”
“Hmm your right he does look skinny. Alright son you better have something good to trade.” He looked backwards to the inner village. “Open the gate” he screamed. With a scraping sound a metal gate went sideways open.
When the gate closed behind him  the man still had his scoped rifle at him. A strong silent man searched him while Jack held his hands high. “This is Bull he doesn’t speak.” He gestured to the woman. “She is Nova. And I’m Malcome”. The man with glasses said.  “Do you greet everyone like this?” Jack said.
“Well, ever since an attack we’ve been quite…ummh upset about it. Nova said with some anger and sadness in her voice. We lost some good people.”
Bull pulled out Jack’s 10mm weapon and grunted.
“We’ll be taking this you will get it back when you leave.” Malcome said. “Can I keep my knife?”
“ Yes but don’t draw it without proper cause or we will of course pop you with some. “Malcome said like a though guy despite his height. He lowered his weapon. “I’ll be keeping my eyes on you. All four of them.” Malcome pushed his glasses with a crack in it better on his nose and clambered onto the ladder of the watchtower.
Nova smiled as he looked at her. “Been out there for a while?”
“Yes. Where can I trade?” he said somewhat irritated. “Of course of course. Well you could try just about anyone here but the best choice is Googly’s little pawn shop. And food and water can be bought at lily’s little restaurant.” She pointed where it was. “Not much on the menu but it’s filling. And of course our prime attraction Dean’s ammo workshop. He’s got enough and if it isn’t, he can just make more.” They stopped in front of  Googly’s shop. It was a rundown wooden building with no door. She smiled. “Nice to meet someone new and friendly again. Let me know when you’ve traded. can’t wait to browse for new items at Googly’s.”
The pawn shop keeper was snoring in a chair in front of the counter. But the moment Jack stepped in the building the wooden floors creaked. The shop keeper pulled a sawed off shotgun and pointed it at Jack . The shop keeper wore some dirty googles on his even more dirty face. The man licked his lips. “Oh a new face. You look like you want to trade some,  don’t you?”  Jack nodded. “Oh by the way,  Thaddeus is the name or you can call me Googly. Don’t know why they call me that.” Googly scratched underneath his googles and smiled. “C’mon let me see what you want to trade.” Jack put the picture he had on the counter. The man with the goggles whistled. “You sure you want to part with it? He giggled. “You want to be alone with her first before selling it?” He nudged him with his elbow as he said that.
“I’ll tell you what how about I trade you fifty ten mm bullets and this  you can use the bullets to pay in this village for some food and water you look like you can use it.” For a moment he looked at all of Googlys items and his eye fell on a rolled up sleeping bag. “How about forty bullets and that sleeping bag.” Googly raised his eyebrows. “Oh no, that’s at least worth thirty bullets.”
“Ok how about thirty five bullets and that sleeping bag?”
“thirty and the bag.”
“thirty-three  and the bag. And I’ll toss in this red dice”
For a moment Googly blinked. Fine. “Rob poor Googly when you are at it, huh?.” Googly snatched the picture and dice and pocketed them. 
When he left the building he started to walk to the restaurant past the gate. Suddenly Malcom screamed. ”Raiders!”. Malcome fired his scoped rifle.

[MRtrader]

Part 4
Men and woman came rushing out of the buildings guns in hands. Malcome fel gasping to the floor of the watchtower. His rifle fell down from the watchtower and skidded to Jacks feet. Without thinking he picked it up and rushed up the ladder. “What are you doing they have a sniper!”. Malcome said with a gasp of pain and grasping his left shoulder. Silently Jack stood behind one of the watchtowers poles that would give him a slight protection.

Three cars with raiders started to move in the distance but stopped again the moment Jack moved to take aim. Which car held  the sniper? Time seemed to slow down as his heartbeat went up like a runaway train. He gambled the smaller buggy of the three cars. He looked through the scope and looked right into the face of a man wielding a scoped rifle. Jack fired. It took what looked like 3 seconds for the bullet to arrive which was actually only half a second or so. A body fell out of the buggy. Someone inside the buggy tried to pick up the gun. Jack fired again. The raider slumped inside the buggy and almost fell out. Soon after the cars with the raiders left.

Jack sat down while a concerned large man climbed up the watchtower. “They are leaving?” he asked while looking out in the distance. The unknown man scratched his head and picked up Malcome who groaned. He looked up to Jack. “Good work that was a good shooting.”  Jack helped with getting Malcome down.

Several people had gathered around with weapons in hand. “They are gone.” The unknown man said.” The stranger sent them running.” Someone patted Jack on the back. “Good job man”. Nova had a concerned look as she bandaged Malcome shoulder.  “That’s the second time this week,“ someone muttered.
 
“Here take this”, The though looking man said. It’s all I can spare. He handed him a small bag. “Ok people show is over. “Dean time we to get back to work.” A person in a blue workers jacket nodded.  Jack checked the bag. It was filled with bullets, forty he guessed. “Thanks” Jack said surprised.  “Do you mind?” The tough looking man said and pointed towards the scoped rifle. Jack gave it back. “Davey you take up guard position.” Davey spat something on the floor and nodded, taking over the rifle.
The villagers started to disperse. Before Davey could climb up the ladder Jack tabbed his shoulder. “Mind if I go out there for a minute or three?”
“Spoils of war, eh? Ok “ Davey grinned.  “good luck, if I have to help you out it’s gonna cost you.”
It took him several minutes to get there but it was worth it. The sniper rifle looked quite good. He checked the body of the raider and found a clip for the sniper rifle. “yes!” He pocketed a nice looking combat knife also. The trek back had him checking out his new toy in total he had 9 sniper bullets. He felt tough again, but still hungry his stomach reminded him.


He was eating a warm  soup with a wooden spoon and some crackers. A full plastic water bottle stood next to the bowl. It tasted so good, he could almost forget that it had cost him a whopping 24 bullets.
The large man came through the restaurant door and conversations stopped for a few seconds then continued. Jack didn’t even look. Not until the man sat down at his table.
“Thanks again.” The man sighed. “My name is Murk and I am the leader of this village, or at least what goes around here for that.” Jack ate his soup as if his life depended on it. Murk raised a eyebrow. “Look I have a proposition for you with big rewards. Interested?”  Jack continued to eat. Murk patiently waited till Jack finished his soup. Slowly Jack put down the spoon.
 “Ok, let’s hear it”

To be continued…