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.
