No Man's Earth

Chapter 1: Waking Up

All I remember is waking up. It was dark and I was scared. The only noise was my heavy breathing. I knew that my name was Maverick and that I was 14 years old, but I couldn't remember anything else.

I tried to sit up but my head hit something hard so I laid back down. I looked up and after the dust cleared I saw I was under a pile of cement slabs, probably the ruins of a building.

The air was suddenly harder to breath and it felt as though the small space I was in was getting even smaller.
First thing you learn about yourself, I thought, your claustrophobic. I tried to push the cement out of the way but it wouldn't budge. I looked around but I couldn't find an escape.

After what felt like the longest minutes of my life I found a spot in the cement that seemed to be crumbling. There was a chance that the cement would come crashing down on top of me if I tried to move it, but there was also a chance that I would escape.

I placed myself under the crumbling cement and pushed on it. It gave way and I quickly climbed out before the cement fell in the place I was sitting moments ago.

The Sun was blinding. Once I could see without black dots floating in front of my eyes I looked around.

As far as I could see in every direction everything was destroyed. Buildings were in ruins, cars were in flames, sand drifted in the streets.

It looked as if I were in a desert. The land surrounding the ruined city was all sand, shining white in the hot rays of the Sun. I had only been outside for a few moments but I was all ready sweating.

I had no idea what could have caused this or how long ago it had happened. I took a few steps forward and jumped as a car to my left suddenly burst into flames. I stared at the orange and yellow flames licking the vehicle. It mesmerized me.

There was a sound in front of me. A fox jumped through the broken window of a used-to-be skyscraper. It scampered up to me looking starved and dehydrated. I bent down and petted it. I sat there and smoothed over it's rough fur over and over again until it went completely still, it's eyes closed.

I didn't know what to do with it. Vultures circled overhead, thinking that fox was going to be their next meal.
If I was a fox, I wouldn't want to be eaten, I thought. I picked up the fox's frail, lifeless body and carried it over to a patch of sand. I buried it next to a shriveled up tree.

I continued to walk down the street. I didn't know what I was looking for. My stomach made a sound and somehow I knew I needed food. I looked into every building searching for something familiar, but nothing rang a bell.

Finally I entered a building that had rows and rows of things I remembered eating. I took down something labelled Wonder Bread and shoved all of it into my mouth. Then I found crates full of bottles of something called propel. I drank three bottles of the mysterious liquid. I continued to search the store.

I felt like there was something missing from the town but I couldn't lay my finger on it. There were animals and buildings and food and water. What else was there supposed to be here?

Time passed quickly and before I knew it the Sun had set on the destroyed city, leaving only ominous darkness. I found a comfortable bench and laid down on it.
Store, I thought, this place is called a store. I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable on the hard wooden bench. Eventually I fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.