The Fallout
Purified
(A/N: The Next part of this story is in 4 parts, ((Tom’s, Matt’s Austin’s and Oli’s.)) They will all be from the same date, just in different P.O.V’s.) This may seem irrelevant, but pay close attention to the hints hidden in this chapter.
Matt's P.O.V
One.
Nothing was going as planned, and the last few days have been the darkest of my life. No matter what we did, no matter how hard we tried, we always lost. Lost something, or someone, or everything we had worked so hard for. We couldn’t catch a break; we couldn’t even take a moment to relax because we simply didn’t have the time. It was becoming a struggle to do much of anything; we couldn’t go out in public, we couldn’t listen to anything the damn radio spewed at us either. No, because we were everything the government feared, we were everything a person should be afraid of because we wore human skin like masks. We blended seamlessly into crowds; we couldn’t be picked out as being monsters if you had us in a line up. We were the silent kind of scary, but the thing was, we didn’t have a single cruel intention, well...at least at first.
Two.
I couldn’t help but feel as if Tino's death was partially my fault. Granted, I was still half asleep when he was gunned down, but I was still there. I was awake, at least partially, and I was aware; but somehow…I wasn’t. I could have done something, I could have zoned out into the darkest stage of my mind and slaughtered the men before they could have got to him, but it didn’t work out that way. It didn’t go how I liked it, but nothing really did these days.
Three.
We were running out of food, and at a rate that I could only be astonished at. It seemed like all of our appetites had become ravenous since our new…developments. Only about two days worth of food remained; which was literally nothing. I wasn’t ready to give up quite yet though; I had priorities to take care of; a promise to keep, and people to look out for.
Four.
I didn’t necessarily want to do what I did, but…it had to be done. I couldn’t let the guys starve, I couldn’t just sit around and watch them dwindle away and lose moral. The world was a huge battlefield, every city and every town was a wasteland and at that point; I would do anything I could to protect mine.
Five.
I recalled how Tom had gently tugged on my sleeve while we were trying to rest, something that we didn’t get to do often since we were constantly on the road. Oli was with Austin in the front cabin of the R.V. and most likely fast asleep. The look in Tom's eyes was gut wrenching, it was that of pure fear and distress; everything I felt as well. I held him throughout the night, each of us remaining silent and simply lost in our own thoughts. I was happy for his comfort, and hoped that I provided him with something in return.
Six.
Sixteen towns over, Six hundred roadways away from the farm, Six people dead at my feet; it was all the same to me. When Austin said to canvas the town for supplies, I may have taken him a bit too seriously. After stumbling across a group of survivors I kind of lost it. They didn’t start a confrontation, didn’t question me as I passed them, and didn’t suspect that they were about to fall victim to my ruse. I snapped, I just couldn’t bear to see six people so happy and carefree, and they had food. Food I knew we desperately needed, surprisingly enough, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilty. But I did feel ashamed due to that, this wasn’t what I had meant when I promised Tino we would change the world…guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I shuddered as I quickly looted their bags of goods and tossed them into my bag. I then wrapped the straps around my shoulders and slunk back to the R.V., debating on whether or not I was becoming what I had always hated, but It’s justifiable...right?
I Wanna Be Stronger Than Oceans
-&-
Tom's P.O.V
I grumbled as I kicked a stray rock from my path, this entire city, what was once Chicago, was in ruin. We were being brave by stepping out into the open, but we had to do what we had to do. I clutched my gun to my chest as I stalked down an alley way behind an old supermarket, when I reached the broken window in the back I snuck in. I canvassed the area quickly before grabbing a basket and dumping the remaining canned goods off the shelves, and stealing as many water flavorings as I could. A foul smell greeted my nostrils when I strode by the last isle, I peeked around the corner to see a man’s body halfway eaten away by whatever he had come into contact with. His eyes were wide open, but foggy from deaths cold clutches, I pursed my lips as I walked down the aisle. I stepped over him, almost as if he wasn’t there in the first place, as if he wasn’t a human being at all. The imagination I once held made jokes about how funny it would be if he reached up and grabbed my leg, but he wouldn’t.
I shoveled the remaining objects on the shelves into my basket and made my way to the exit, I grimaced as I placed a 5 dollar note on the counter. I wouldn’t need it, and the gesture almost made me feel like things were okay, like things were normal. As I stepped out of the broken window and back into the deserted streets I felt reality consume me. I missed my parents, missed Tino, missed Lee, Vegan and Jona, I missed my dogs, and my home in Sheffield…I missed the things and people that I would never see again.Yet, I felt a bit empowered today, almost nostalgic, like I had somehow woken up anew. I felt safer now, knowing I could protect myself without a doubt was something to feel good about; but I did worry a lot too. Especially for Matt, Oli, and Austin, of course they too could protect themselves…but I feared that that kind of power could get to their heads. I knew them well enough to know that they wouldn’t let it consume them, but I also knew that people could surprise you…the same applied to those of us who weren’t exactly…normal. I had a clear head when I woke up that day, almost as if I could have done anything if given the chance.
I Wanna Lift Mountains High.
-&-
Austin's P.O.V
My head was in the clouds, but my eyes were trained on every single nook and cranny of the city before me. I was on high alert as I scouted the streets for any signs of supplies, I only wondered if the rest of the guys had any luck. The sky was dark, but not dark enough to make it night; it was more or less a giant fog that precariously hung over the city.
“Great,” I muttered as I passed abandoned store after abandoned store, nothing was left except the shelves themselves. The stench of the city was foul; it smelt like I thought it would though; dead rotting corpses. I shook my head before turning to look blindly at the sky above, there was nothing there to see, but it gave me a reassuring feeling. I could feel Tino watching me from the sky, like he was there with me every step of the way, even though it was just in spirit. I knew my mom must have had constant eyes on me, she was always like that when she was still there; even as I grew older she hated to see me out on my own.
“Take care you two, I can handle things down here.” I pointed at the sky and smiled as a tear dripped from my eye. I had to make things alright, I had to find a way to mend the broken pieces of the earth back together; it was a promise I had made to not only myself, but to my best friend.
“I won’t let you down!” I shouted as I lowered my hand, I knew I must have sounded insane, but it wasn’t like anyone was around to hear my words. I walked the streets carefully, making sure to watch my step and check my surroundings every now and again. I thought about how I was going to make this so called plan happen, I knew innocent people would have to die. It was sadly the only way to ensure that things would go our way, and our plan, in a sense, was the only hope. I knew that this government they had strewn up was nothing more than a deceitful plan to lure those into thinking that order in the world could be restored…but it couldn't. We had to do something to fix this, we had to make this right…we had a promise to fulfill.
Bring Back Glory to Your Name
-&-
Oli's P.O.V
I stared down at the city below my feet as the sky turned a darker color, the air up here was thick; and slightly cloudy from whatever pollutants had made themselves known but it was somewhat peaceful. Here, on the roof of an 8th story restaurant, I drafted up a conclusion. Something had to give, I was so sick of fighting everyday so I could continue to breathe, and equally sick of fighting everything around me to help my family and friends survive. I was worried to death that something would happen to Tom, worried sick that Matt would snap under the pressure, especially since he wasn’t always the best at controlling his anger…I could only hope Tom wouldn’t be on the receiving end of that. Matt would be dead if he snapped on my baby brother, end of story. I also worried for Austin, who was increasingly becoming something near and dear to me. We cried together, laughed together, slept in the same bed and cuddled at night. He was a relief from the worlds horrors, a beautiful person led astray by catastrophe…and I had to say that he fascinated me to no end. I was curious and eager to know everything I could about him, but it felt like he wasn’t always being honest with me. It was like there was something he was hiding…but I was hiding something too.
I stood up from my perch and stared at the desolated city below me and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming out. It’s the worst feeling in the world to have a secret, but in all reality, everyone has one. Mine just so happened to be something that could alter everyone’s views on me, something that could ultimately destroy the bonds I had. So I didn’t utter a word, and I certainly didn’t act as if I had something to hide. But I did. I wished I could move backwards and stop this mess from ever happening, I wish I could go back to the day I got that damn letter, I wished to change a lot of things. But my knowledge wasn’t one of them. I knew something they would never, and could never know. I'd take this secret to the grave. I had too.
I Wanna Move Faster Than Time
Matt's P.O.V
One.
Nothing was going as planned, and the last few days have been the darkest of my life. No matter what we did, no matter how hard we tried, we always lost. Lost something, or someone, or everything we had worked so hard for. We couldn’t catch a break; we couldn’t even take a moment to relax because we simply didn’t have the time. It was becoming a struggle to do much of anything; we couldn’t go out in public, we couldn’t listen to anything the damn radio spewed at us either. No, because we were everything the government feared, we were everything a person should be afraid of because we wore human skin like masks. We blended seamlessly into crowds; we couldn’t be picked out as being monsters if you had us in a line up. We were the silent kind of scary, but the thing was, we didn’t have a single cruel intention, well...at least at first.
Two.
I couldn’t help but feel as if Tino's death was partially my fault. Granted, I was still half asleep when he was gunned down, but I was still there. I was awake, at least partially, and I was aware; but somehow…I wasn’t. I could have done something, I could have zoned out into the darkest stage of my mind and slaughtered the men before they could have got to him, but it didn’t work out that way. It didn’t go how I liked it, but nothing really did these days.
Three.
We were running out of food, and at a rate that I could only be astonished at. It seemed like all of our appetites had become ravenous since our new…developments. Only about two days worth of food remained; which was literally nothing. I wasn’t ready to give up quite yet though; I had priorities to take care of; a promise to keep, and people to look out for.
Four.
I didn’t necessarily want to do what I did, but…it had to be done. I couldn’t let the guys starve, I couldn’t just sit around and watch them dwindle away and lose moral. The world was a huge battlefield, every city and every town was a wasteland and at that point; I would do anything I could to protect mine.
Five.
I recalled how Tom had gently tugged on my sleeve while we were trying to rest, something that we didn’t get to do often since we were constantly on the road. Oli was with Austin in the front cabin of the R.V. and most likely fast asleep. The look in Tom's eyes was gut wrenching, it was that of pure fear and distress; everything I felt as well. I held him throughout the night, each of us remaining silent and simply lost in our own thoughts. I was happy for his comfort, and hoped that I provided him with something in return.
Six.
Sixteen towns over, Six hundred roadways away from the farm, Six people dead at my feet; it was all the same to me. When Austin said to canvas the town for supplies, I may have taken him a bit too seriously. After stumbling across a group of survivors I kind of lost it. They didn’t start a confrontation, didn’t question me as I passed them, and didn’t suspect that they were about to fall victim to my ruse. I snapped, I just couldn’t bear to see six people so happy and carefree, and they had food. Food I knew we desperately needed, surprisingly enough, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilty. But I did feel ashamed due to that, this wasn’t what I had meant when I promised Tino we would change the world…guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I shuddered as I quickly looted their bags of goods and tossed them into my bag. I then wrapped the straps around my shoulders and slunk back to the R.V., debating on whether or not I was becoming what I had always hated, but It’s justifiable...right?
I Wanna Be Stronger Than Oceans
-&-
Tom's P.O.V
I grumbled as I kicked a stray rock from my path, this entire city, what was once Chicago, was in ruin. We were being brave by stepping out into the open, but we had to do what we had to do. I clutched my gun to my chest as I stalked down an alley way behind an old supermarket, when I reached the broken window in the back I snuck in. I canvassed the area quickly before grabbing a basket and dumping the remaining canned goods off the shelves, and stealing as many water flavorings as I could. A foul smell greeted my nostrils when I strode by the last isle, I peeked around the corner to see a man’s body halfway eaten away by whatever he had come into contact with. His eyes were wide open, but foggy from deaths cold clutches, I pursed my lips as I walked down the aisle. I stepped over him, almost as if he wasn’t there in the first place, as if he wasn’t a human being at all. The imagination I once held made jokes about how funny it would be if he reached up and grabbed my leg, but he wouldn’t.
I shoveled the remaining objects on the shelves into my basket and made my way to the exit, I grimaced as I placed a 5 dollar note on the counter. I wouldn’t need it, and the gesture almost made me feel like things were okay, like things were normal. As I stepped out of the broken window and back into the deserted streets I felt reality consume me. I missed my parents, missed Tino, missed Lee, Vegan and Jona, I missed my dogs, and my home in Sheffield…I missed the things and people that I would never see again.Yet, I felt a bit empowered today, almost nostalgic, like I had somehow woken up anew. I felt safer now, knowing I could protect myself without a doubt was something to feel good about; but I did worry a lot too. Especially for Matt, Oli, and Austin, of course they too could protect themselves…but I feared that that kind of power could get to their heads. I knew them well enough to know that they wouldn’t let it consume them, but I also knew that people could surprise you…the same applied to those of us who weren’t exactly…normal. I had a clear head when I woke up that day, almost as if I could have done anything if given the chance.
I Wanna Lift Mountains High.
-&-
Austin's P.O.V
My head was in the clouds, but my eyes were trained on every single nook and cranny of the city before me. I was on high alert as I scouted the streets for any signs of supplies, I only wondered if the rest of the guys had any luck. The sky was dark, but not dark enough to make it night; it was more or less a giant fog that precariously hung over the city.
“Great,” I muttered as I passed abandoned store after abandoned store, nothing was left except the shelves themselves. The stench of the city was foul; it smelt like I thought it would though; dead rotting corpses. I shook my head before turning to look blindly at the sky above, there was nothing there to see, but it gave me a reassuring feeling. I could feel Tino watching me from the sky, like he was there with me every step of the way, even though it was just in spirit. I knew my mom must have had constant eyes on me, she was always like that when she was still there; even as I grew older she hated to see me out on my own.
“Take care you two, I can handle things down here.” I pointed at the sky and smiled as a tear dripped from my eye. I had to make things alright, I had to find a way to mend the broken pieces of the earth back together; it was a promise I had made to not only myself, but to my best friend.
“I won’t let you down!” I shouted as I lowered my hand, I knew I must have sounded insane, but it wasn’t like anyone was around to hear my words. I walked the streets carefully, making sure to watch my step and check my surroundings every now and again. I thought about how I was going to make this so called plan happen, I knew innocent people would have to die. It was sadly the only way to ensure that things would go our way, and our plan, in a sense, was the only hope. I knew that this government they had strewn up was nothing more than a deceitful plan to lure those into thinking that order in the world could be restored…but it couldn't. We had to do something to fix this, we had to make this right…we had a promise to fulfill.
Bring Back Glory to Your Name
-&-
Oli's P.O.V
I stared down at the city below my feet as the sky turned a darker color, the air up here was thick; and slightly cloudy from whatever pollutants had made themselves known but it was somewhat peaceful. Here, on the roof of an 8th story restaurant, I drafted up a conclusion. Something had to give, I was so sick of fighting everyday so I could continue to breathe, and equally sick of fighting everything around me to help my family and friends survive. I was worried to death that something would happen to Tom, worried sick that Matt would snap under the pressure, especially since he wasn’t always the best at controlling his anger…I could only hope Tom wouldn’t be on the receiving end of that. Matt would be dead if he snapped on my baby brother, end of story. I also worried for Austin, who was increasingly becoming something near and dear to me. We cried together, laughed together, slept in the same bed and cuddled at night. He was a relief from the worlds horrors, a beautiful person led astray by catastrophe…and I had to say that he fascinated me to no end. I was curious and eager to know everything I could about him, but it felt like he wasn’t always being honest with me. It was like there was something he was hiding…but I was hiding something too.
I stood up from my perch and stared at the desolated city below me and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming out. It’s the worst feeling in the world to have a secret, but in all reality, everyone has one. Mine just so happened to be something that could alter everyone’s views on me, something that could ultimately destroy the bonds I had. So I didn’t utter a word, and I certainly didn’t act as if I had something to hide. But I did. I wished I could move backwards and stop this mess from ever happening, I wish I could go back to the day I got that damn letter, I wished to change a lot of things. But my knowledge wasn’t one of them. I knew something they would never, and could never know. I'd take this secret to the grave. I had too.
I Wanna Move Faster Than Time
Notes
Did you catch some of the points in here? Cause they WILL play a roll in this story, call this a recollection or a foresight, but in a way; its both.
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Siren
@Ogsquidgy
Same! I just got my new computer after months of waiting. :( I hope you liked it?
9/5/14