Immortal Burn (ONC 2024)

Chapter 1

Silver hair was swept up into a high ponytail while sunlit blue eyes were forced to tear away from the plethora of photos situated around the makeshift home. Lithe footsteps echoed across the wooden slabs that made up the uneven flooring, the soot from the ground puffing up through the cracks and landing upon the young woman's boots with each step. The footfalls only stopped when they reached an old singed table, blacked by the flames The Fall brought with it, the object lucky enough to survive such an ordeal. Upon it sat the girl's old black and brown backpack, still unzipped and opened wide to reveal each and every one of the contents held within. 

A partial loaf of bread and two bottles of purified water was all she planned to bring with her, the scavenging trip she was taking not to be as long as some. A small box holding what little medical supplies she had rested near the top were more than likely never going to be used on herself, not unless she managed to get hurt really bad and the healing that came with her immortality didn't heal her as fast as it should. The medical supplies were mostly for show or unless she found someone outside the walls that needed medical aid until they could get inside the small city she called home. 

Once she was satisfied with the contents of her bag, she zipped the backpack closed and slung the tattered straps over her delicate shoulders. Along with doing so, she checked the holster that hung on her right hip, a gun resting securely within its hold in case she ever needed to use it. On the same side at her back, two extra ammunition cartridges rested within their own casings as backups when the main magazine ran out. She only hoped that it would never have to be used, but you never knew what would happen outside the walls of the city. 

In a final step to make sure she was ready to go, she secured a dagger to her left leg and turned towards the poorly situated door that closed off her home to others. 

For a moment, she hesitated on moving. 

Uncertain as to why she hesitated for that split second or the reasoning behind an immense feeling of apprehension building within her, the young woman forced her feet to move forward. She pushed open the door with renewed vigor and listened as it swung shut behind her as she exited the household and entered the outside world. 

Despite the sudden dimness that welcomed her, the sun shone in a crimson sky covered by black clouds that always seemed to be a dark omen hanging over their ever struggling world. Below, the ground was just as black, burned to nothing more than ash and soot during the beginning times of The Fall when hellfire rushed over the world in waves both by sky and by ground. Some buildings were lucky enough to still be standing, but they were scorched and leaning to one side, threatening to fall at any given moment by the blast of flames that once tried to knocked them over. Residential homes had been disintegrated, forcing both young and old to find much needed supplies and basic amenities to rebuild what had been sadly lost. The Fall had left the world looking like a giant homeless camp, all personal belongings that meant something gone or burned to near crisps that they could barely be touched without falling apart. 

Plants were scarce, the only living greenery found in the tiny gardens some of the elderly residence had managed to make so they could have some form of fresh food. Everything else had been blackened, burned to ash by The Fall when the flames took over the world. Greenery was nothing but a rarity to one if they could find any. 

Making her way through the soot piled streets, the young woman started her trek towards a large iron and aluminum built gate that was manned by a multitude of soldiers in black S.W.A.T attire. A wall stretched out from either side of the gate, an attempt to keep the mutated creatures on the outside from getting in. It was also the only way in and out of the desolated city she had been calling home for the past ten years. Though, she didn't think the gate would do much good if something were to come around and try to get into the rounded up group of food. She wondered if anyone even knew the dire situation that very wall caused, even if it was made with good intentions in mind.