Archive of Our Own ^beta

Wastelands

        Breathing never got easier, no matter how far from the city you strayed. The wind blew the decay for miles upon miles, stinging your eyes and burning your lungs even through a face mask with the cremations of the hundreds of millions that weren't fortunate enough to make it through the first wave of the invasion. Those who weren't disintegrated changed into monsters. Some of which held their humanity, others, not so much. Some mutations weren't even human at all to begin with, leading to the creation of things never meant to exist. 

You learn to sleep with one eye open after a while. 

You never really learn how to get used to the changes, though. 

My reflection didn't look like me anymore, but I stopped feeling like myself a long time ago. My skin long since having turned a unhealthy green hue.

I learned how to survive on my own, You're in the most danger when you're in groups. They're loud, easy to find, and when you're up against real monsters, strength in numbers doesn't matter. You'll become collateral for those desperate enough to use you as their own personal shield; or worse.

It was best to travel alone. 

After the mutation, it became easy enough to get by so long as I didn't bring attention to myself. But that wasn't always my biggest issue.

 In the distance, I could see a red cloud forming just over the horizon. It would be less than an hour before the dust storm hit, and without a proper shelter, you'd be torn to shreds by the sand or other flying objects, moving so fast it felt like razors on your skin. If that didn't kill you, you'd suffocate first. 

The fields were overgrown in the countryside, making the hike all the more difficult, but I trudged on, my sights set on a little cabin at the bottom of a tall hill just on the border of the forest line. It was the only building for miles.

Supplies were limited and scavenging had taken me out farther from my camp than I had anticipated. It was suicide to go out in bad weather but starvation will push anyone to reckless behavior. 

It had been days since my last real meal but all i had to show for myself was a half empty box of stale crackers and a bottle of Tylenol that was close to emtpy. But now in nature's clutches, I was becoming increasingly nervous being outside of the safety of my home. 

Already,  I could feel the sting of sand as it sliced through the air and my skin. Blood began to trickle down my arms and legs as I ran, stumbling through dead bushes and thorns that tore at my already shredded clothing. My already battered legs nearly gave way to the weight of my weakened body, my breaths ragged. 

I hissed in surprise as a broken piece of glass flew through the air leaving a thin cut across my cheek. The winds were only growing stronger by the second, nearly sending me off my feet. 

I was losing a lot of blood already and the storm was only getting closer. I trudged on, the worn down house now in reach.

There was no time to slow down as my shoulder slammed into the flimsy door. As it gave way a chorus of clangs and crashes came with it as objects towered up behind the door came tumbling down. 

With it, a deep grunt that sent a pang of anxiety through my chest as everything settled. A beast, learing at me through the shadows of the small house. Clearly, I was not the first to come here looking for shelter. In the dark, it was difficult to make out the creature but i dared not take my eyes off them. 

We were stuck in a stalemate, each waiting for the others first move. There was no such thing as a casual run in with strangers, the worst flashed across my mind my first response to tighten the grip on my dingy, old carving knife. They rose to their feet, hunched, big, i couldn't let myself be afraid of them no matter how small i felt. I had killed things much bigger before. 

The mutation did nothing to my size leaving me at a measly five foot four stature, however I had become  more coordinated, stronger, and most of all, faster.

I couldn't go back into the storm, it would be a death sentence for any one.

Time stood still, until they made the first move, weapons in hand they seemed ready to charge at me as they crouched. But a loud BANG followed by the crumbling of half the house sent the both of us off our feet with the tremor of the ground. 

The sand now was pouring in through the new doorway created by what seemed to be a mixed up pile of scrap metal, pinning the monster to the ground by their ankle. They did not yell, not even a sound as I looked at them now more visible in the red light. 

They were green, darker than my own skin but rougher with scales of that of what appeared to be a turtle. Their large shell on their back gave them away, I couldn't help but admire their unique appearance for the slightest second. They were more humanoid than most monsters, muscles bigger than my head, torn pants that were carefully stitched together, bandages wrapped around his right arm stained with dried blood, and a dull red, ripped mask wrapped around its eyes. Their strange small pitch fork looking weapons now laid at my feet as they stared at me with a near crazed, desperate but somehow also unreadable look in their eye that signified some kind of intelligence. 

The cabin was bear inside, the sand whizzing in already creating piles on the floor and suffocating the air as It grew denser. The storm was upon us, and this shelter wasn't going to hold.

My eyes flew across the room, landing quickly on the far left corner closest to the monster. It was what looked to be an old makeshift stove, it looked recently used with ash built up underneath, as if maybe the creature had been here for a while. But what got my attention was a small outline in the floorboards just underneath; a cellar. 

It was my only chance.

The creature watched through wild eyes as I approached cautiously, avoiding getting within arms reach as I tossed everything out of the way. The small hatch had a metal handle that I quickly grabbed hold of, heaving it open to reveal a dank, dark entrance way. I prayed for it to be enough, and better yet I prayed I wouldn't get buried alive if I did make it through the storm.

I had already begun sliding down, my feet searching for some kind of hold in my descent. From nearby, the creature coughed, a large three finger hand covering his mouth and nose through his shuddered breaths as a gust of wind blew so strong it shattered the window, shards of glass imbedding them selves in the shell on his back. They were injured, stuck, too weak to move.

Maybe it was my conscience finally kicking in, the final reminence of my humanity or maybe I just pitied them. 

Glancing between the creature and the dark hole that awaited me, I cursed under my breath as I clambered out and crawled over to the monster. They looked at me, confused, angry, but not fighting back as I took to work on dislodging their foot from the heap of metals. The sand burned my eyes and clogged up my mask as I worked with my knife to free them. 

Every second felt like a minute, the sand only grew thicker. The creature worked with me, pulling their leg and attempting to crawl free as i bent metals, chiseled away at them, even attempting to lift it off. 

They coughed harder, my heart hammering with adrenaline as their blood coaxed my hands, my knife slipping and clattering on the floor. 

They spoke for the first time, "just go." Their voice was quiet, deep, scratchy. It was the first voice I had heard in... I hadn't been keeping track of the days.

It seemed the best choice, a piece of sharp sheet metal was lodged into his foot, too thick for my knife to stab through, to wedged to remove, too heavy to lift. My hands shook but I scrambled to pick my knife back up. 

I had to keep trying. 

Wiping my bloodied hands on my pants,  I was back to work, I jabbed my knife as close to his foot as I could without cutting him and pushed the sharp end of the blade into the sheet metal. The creature finally let out a gutteral growl of pain, more blood spraying on my clothes and hands as the metal shifted and tore his skin. I pushed hard, using all my strength until finally my knife cut through, dislodging his foot.

The blade of my knife clattered to the ground, broken off the hilt but I disregarded it as I rounded to the front of the turtle and grabbed his uninjured arm. 

He looked up at me for the briefest of moments, his green eyes locked on mine as if he was in disbelief. "Move!" I seethed, sweat dripping from my forehead as he grabbed my arm for support and with one final pained grunt he was free. The metal stuck through the middle of his foot but he seemed still full of enough strength to move. 

I barely had time to react as he grabbed me and the both of us plunged into the darkness of the cellar. The clang of the hatch slamming shut sent echoes all around us.

It smelt like old water and rot. 

He dropped me, my hands and bottom coming into contact with the coolness of the concrete floor. 

I threw off my bag and rummage through it, uneased, vulnerable, my whole body trembling. 

The dark was a scary place.

Yanking out my lantern and my lighter I wasted no time lighting it. The light that flooded the room wasn't much but it gave us enough to at the least see each other. And thankfully, it was only us, at least I hoped I could be thankful. 

He was rested on the ground, already tending to his injured foot. I hung the lantern on a hook attached to chains that hung from the rafters. On the farthest wall, nearest to the turtle man appeared to be some kind of butchering table. Old bones littered the floor, all of which appeared to be animal.

Quickly, I pulled my mask off of my face letting it hang around my neck. A full breath of air finally allowed me to focus but now, I could finally feel the fullest extent of the pain in my arms and legs. They ached from the work the endured and stung from grime and sand that had been rubbed into small cuts. I was smeared in blood, most of which did not belong to me and im sure I smelled just as foul as I looked. 

I watched him closely, observing how his shoulders rose and fell with every breath. His eyes darted upwards at me briefly before back to his injury as he yanked the remaining piece of metal out through the bottom of his three toed foot. A low growl passing his lips was the only indication that it must of been unpleasant. 

Still, I only stood, waiting to see if he was capable or if he would end up dying anyways. 

I had seen injuries much more severe with a much more fatal outcome. Though, I never thought twice about helping anybody. I realized the predicament I had just put myself in, the reward being that I was now trapped underground with a dangerous mutant without a weapon. 

I felt sick with anxiety as I watched them use what little they had to bandage their foot. 

Fortunately, it seemed the adrenaline had long since worn off as the creature all but suddenly fell sideways, unconscious. 

The storm above made the ceiling creak dangerously, sand leaking through the cracks in the trap door. I hoped it would hold until the storm passed. I hoped my camp was okay. I hoped to be able to leave before the creature woke up.

My back pressed against the cement wall as I looked at the monster across from me, listening to his labored breaths. I slowly allowed myself to settle to the floor, making myself as small as possible with my knees pressed tightly to my chest.

And a little part of me hoped that they would be okay.