Slowly peering past the open door, I expected the world my dreams often reminded me of, trees and vibrant buildings brought together by bushes and shrubs adorned with colorful flowers. But what lay in this harsh reality now was nothing, but a world marked by pain. A signature grey held over the air, the trees, the building, and the brush all was swallowed by this grey. It was as if even mother nature herself had been slain by Mankind's Bombs.
I stumbled aimlessly down the road trying my best in my mind to formulate a plan, first I would need food. Second, I would need to find someone who knew about the oil rig, and finally I would need to find a safe place to stay during the night so I could get some sleep. As I shuffled along, I left the road, pulling back my memories I recalled that there was a river nearby. Maybe I should go to the river and follow it to its source, after all if I followed the river long enough it would lead to the ocean and most likely a city, or something, I really didn't have a better plan, as staying on the road to me seemed like a death trap.
I crossed through the fields, scanning the distance for anything that could help me, and then I saw Old Mr. Takashi House, the guy was a genuinely nice old gentlemen he used to give me candies as I walked to school, he had a son I wondered how the pair are doing now, I just kept going past their house and yeah, I know I probably should have looted it, but I just felt wrong pillaging the house of someone who I used to know.
Walking past the home I drifted over to the river its calm constant flow was alluring me and tempting me to be consumed by the water in front of me. The distraction of the waves lifted me out of this horrible world into a sweet peaceful dream, however as I awoke and became aware of my surroundings, I felt someone behind me, I quickly pivoted to see a magnum directly in my face.
"Ey, kid what you think you're doing here?"
I backed up, startled by his presence but he pushed the magnum closer
"Answer my question, please" Sweat dripped from my brow, my mind darted. Who was this guy? What did he want? Was I about to die?
"Uh... I just left my bunker and was just walking around, please put the gun down"
"Wrong answer" he put his magnum down "if I was some random outlander you would be dead right now, in these wastes a kid like you will never survive"
I staggered back and fell backwards into the river. He extended his hand out to me, I reached to grab it.
"Welp lesson number one don't trust random outlanders" He slowly pulled me up, and now I drenched and annoyed. Suddenly I remembered the old gun in my pocket quickly I reached for it and felt nothing but air.
"Looking for this?" he twirled my 1911 in his hand. "I see how it is, you wanted to shoot your dear old mentor now didn't you."
"You're not my mentor, who even are you anyway?" This guy seemed insane, and every part of me screamed at me that I had to get away. After all a guy with a few screws lose in the apocalypse isn't a recipe for success.
"Indeed, I'm your sensei, call me sensei Mark."
"So, Mark you didn't even answer my question, who are you?"
"I'm your sensei" I blinked several times after his stupid reply.
"so, you're an idiot."
He gasped "Now that's not nice I could have killed you and you know eaten your brains or something" Yup he was an idiot.
"So, you're a zombie?
" I don't really know, I am what I want to be and right now I'm your sensei"' I laughed a bit at the sheer stupidity of the man in front of me, here we were in the middle of the end of the world and he was acting like he was someone's mentor, besides, it not like he even knew me "perhaps you should read your environment, I'm the one armed here and by the looks of things your just fresh out of the bunker"
Well, he wasn't wrong, "So let me get this straight you want to be my sensei or something stupid, so that way I can survive out in these wastes."
"one hundred percent correct."
"And why should I even trust you? You could kill me at any moment."
"Well... if I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already and besides what better choice do you have, the way you are now you wouldn't last a day in these wastes."
I slowly waded out of the water and he twirled the m1911 around as if to hand it back to me. This was frustrating.
"all right let's head back to my place, I'll get you cleaned up and fed."
I was aggravated, yes, I did need someone to help me and I did need some food as well as a place to stay but this guy was the definition of annoying. Thinking to myself I decided as soon as I had a chance I would run off with as much food and water as I can grab.
I grabbed my gun back and began to follow behind him...