Fallout » Muke

6. Luck

M

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All I could think when I woke up was the ridiculous pressure inside of my skull. Every god damn heart beat my brain would pulse, scattering my thoughts in excruciating pain. The next thing I noticed, after my eyes focused around the dimly lit room, was the single lamp on the other side it. It suddenly hit me that this was the first time I've seen a working light bulb since... Gosh I can't even remember. The shining ball of glass used to be so common that you never actually thought about electricity, but now, it was a forgotten concept.

I shifted to a sitting position, surprised when my hands ran over soft bed sheets. The mattress, even though creaky, felt like heaven compared to the endless months of sleeping on the ground. It even smelled fresh; soap and lemon that was a billions times better than moldy leaves and rotten flesh. A window, complete with deep blue curtains, revealed a gray sky and a cascading sheet of rain splashing against roofs of other buildings. I know I should be alert, but the soft patter of water outside and the comfort of an actual bed had made it seem that a brain eating disease was simply a reoccurring nightmare I had finally woken up from.

Yet the realization that I was alone made my pounding head start racing. Maya wasn't in here. Despite the protest from my aching body, I forced myself to my feet. My old, raggedy clothes had been replaced by sweats and a plain white t shirt while my shoes were no where to be found. I wasn't going to complain about the much nicer smelling material, but creeped out a bit since I couldn't remember how I got them on.

I silently stumbled over to the bedroom door, straining my ears to hear anything beyond it. My hand gripped the metal handle, twisting it only to reveal it was locked. "Fuck." I cursed, digging my nails into the palm of my hands. My eyes traveled over to the window. I was on the top floor of wherever I was, which limited my option of jumping. Surely I could climb, though.

I rushed over to the glass panes as rain raced down its surface. I hardly flinched when lightning ignited the silver air while my hands fumbled with the seal. Once again, I found my only other exit locked. I searched the room in a desperate attempt to find something to smash it with, but there was only a large desk and a stupid lamp.

I ripped the cord out of the wall and snatched it up. It was light, more than likely not going to break the window but I might as well try. I brought it back in my hand, ready to launch it, ready to watch the glittering shards explode before I made my great escape.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A voice forced my muscles to freeze. My lamp was now my weapon as I turned to face the unfamiliar person, poised to battle with the cheap furniture. I'll be damned if I go down without a fight, even if that meant killing someone with a lamp.

I was met with a pair of curious blue eyes that openly dragged up an down my body, flickering between my face and my raised arm. They were deadly. They tracked every movement, and remembered countless deaths. They were strong and broken and utterly confusing. They felt like ice against my skin, freezing each nerve in my body effortlessly. I was suddenly drowning, drifting away from my own head. The amused smirk that made its way onto his carefully shaped mouth was what brought me back to the surface. Reality snapped in front of my face, and I was once again a cold blooded survivor instead of a hopeful dreamer.

The blonde crossed his arms across his chest as I attempted not to stare. The fact that this man was so perfect made me trust him less and less. Surely nothing beautiful is left in this deformed world. It has taken everything worth seeing away; even brilliant red sunsets only reminded me of blood. So I forced myself to focus on anything but the stranger's alluring eyes, because surely they only meant more destruction.