Apocalyptica

This was my first story and submission, and I decided to rewrite it for another chapter or two. Comments and critiques are welcome...

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Colleen Annabelle Sylvan shook her head back and forth, her soft brown hair gently swishing back and forth as a tear sprung from her large brown eyes, as if that would dispel the sight before her. Her greatest fear had come. Riding in rank and file on horseback, row after identical row of the Grimour Gang, a local 'private army', had just appeared along the previously peaceful road, the armor on their horses muffled by rags an obvious reason as to why they had not been spotted sooner.

They fell upon the village with a vengeance, striking like a flood from all four sides. Against the trained militia the small village, only around two hundred residents, stood no chance. The army encircled the town and raided each home; slamming open doors and dragging everyone inside out into the evening mist. Any who resisted were cut down with a brutal efficiency, and the rest were quickly rounded up like cattle and forced into the largest building in town: the hotel. In twenty minutes the army of nearly a thousand men strong had fully occupied the small town.

Colleen tried to turn and run, but with a thunder of hooves, a Grimour raider slammed into her with his horse, bowling her over and ripping her thin skirt as she rolled a few feet across the ground. Allen, her new fiancé, came outside brandishing his rifle, but another raider was there and three blasts rang in her ears from his assault rifle. Allen fell before he could even take aim.

Colleen couldn't tell if she was screaming or not as she looked into Allen's lifeless eyes. She dimly realized she was going into shock, and could not even resist as a raider hauled her to her feet. She could barely feel the stones under her bare feet as she stared at the corpse of the man she knew. She watched his form lie there, until her path took him from her sight as she was led on toward the hotel.

William Geep Hershy had always been made fun of. At 6' tall and weighing 133 lbs. it was never to his face, but 'Geep the geek' and 'Hershy Candy Bar' could always be heard behind his back. Anyone who dealt with any form of technology after the Pulse was considered a nerd or geek, and was scorned by the community, as all forms of tech were now generally considered taboo.

You couldn't blame people for their paranoia. Think you fear technology? Let an old man tell you stories of how their sister was fried for standing too close to a microwave, of their father burning up like a match while riding his tractor, or their mother having her flesh melted from her bones for being to close to a power line.

These were the stories of The Pulse. The few scientific minds left couldn't explain it. Some people said a solar flare caused it. Some said God was angry about man's dependence on such technology. Most didn't care; for five years after the pulse swept over the planet setting foot anywhere near a 'Pre-Pulse City' was a death sentence. Seeing someone immolated a hundred feet from an electrical source left society with an ingrained,

primal

, fear of any form of tech.

None of that mattered anymore to him, as William could now finally apply for a ticket to the cities.

True, these were not the grand Pre-Pulse Cities with steel buildings that had once eclipsed the sun, but they were strong, stone buildings, made by the best stonemasons alive, and protected by walls. Some Cities even had three and four story buildings, and these Cities were not metallic wastelands like all of the Pre-Pulse Cities now were.

It was true, they didn't have the intimidating mass the Pre-Pulse Cities had boasted, but they did have their own unique, beauty to them. They were also the largest centers of all trade and knowledge. You had to be someone to get into any one of the Cities, but William was certain he could get in. he looked over to the table where he had been working, staring hard at the lump in the rag that dominated the center of the table. He had done it, it worked, and now everyone would regret all the jibes and jeers he had taken over the years. He wondered how she would react.

William stared out of his back window, and into the night, remembering two years ago. Mrs. Sylvan was the new teacher of the village, and at twenty years old was the object of every boy's fantasy. William however, was not one of those boys. At least, that was what he had told himself when he had walked into her office the morning after his tenth term graduation, to profess his love to her. He felt dumb and awkward as he spoke and he couldn't even look at her as he held the ring up to her. When he did he could see the answer in the sad smile on her face.

She had let him down as best she could, and he had tried not to let it affect him. "I'm sorry Geep (everyone called him Geep) but just a year ago you were among my first class. It wouldn't be right to take advantage of one of my students like that." He had loved the way her eyes sparkled with laughter, even as his heart sank into his stomach. "Give it a few years, we're not going anywhere." Her gentle touch wasn't much of a soothing balm to the ache he felt, but he accepted her decision.

"One day I'll make you mine." He said to himself as he walked from her room. It did hurt him when less than a year later she started to date Allen, but after just a few weeks they had a break up, and William had matured since their classroom conversation. He looked back on that proposal and laughed; this time he would do things right he swore.

He had built him a house to the south west of the village, while the pre-pulse cities he traveled to after any tech were to the east. Colleen lived with her younger sister on the east side of the village, and it wasn't much of a detour to her house. This time, when he walked up to her outside her house he merely asked for a date; he was even quite smooth about it, too.

"Hey Colleen, what's going on?" He had asked, his heart beating hard as he used her first name. Mrs. Sylvan jumped and seemed standoffish as they conversed about her class and her difficulties with the papers of some of the kids. "Well hey, if you are having some trouble with papers you know I can help. Why don't I bring over some coffee one morning and help you out?" His heart was beating so loud at that point he was surprised she didn't hear it, but he heard her answer plain as day.

Rage he couldn't understand swept over her and she snapped at him, "Dammit Geep my answer was no last time and it hasn't fucking changed! Why can't either of you get it through your thick skulls? Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone!?" It was a slap in his face when she rejected him, but the way she looked at him he would never forget. The warmth in her eyes was replaced with an icy cold glare that tore at his insides.

He had taken it quite hard that second time, leaving her home and retreating to his own in the reaches, a stretch of nice land that 'reached' out between a swamp and the rocky, mountain range to the north. If he had known what he knew now he would not have stopped his advances then and there, but he was certain he would win Colleen in time. That belief came crashing down three weeks later.

He would pass her house by each day, heading to the ruins of the city, in hopes of just catching a glimpse of her. One evening, on his way back home, he saw Colleen stepping out of her house, a big smile on her face. William stopped in the bushes and his stomach dropped to his feet as he saw Allen step out behind her. They had a short conversation, which William couldn't hear, but he could see just fine when Allen pulled her in for a kiss.

She pushed Allen away, but even William could see the smile still on her face as she walked to the edge of the clearing. Allen followed her and turned her back into him. "Come on Colleen, you know you and I are perfect together. We both know you want to." He pulled her in for another kiss, deepening it even as she pushed against him. He twisted her off her feet and laid her on the ground pressing down atop her, covering her neck and throat with kisses.

"Wait Allen what if someone comes..." Colleen's voice was huskier than William had ever heard it and he braced himself against a nearby tree. His knees felt weak and bile rose in his stomach. Were they going to? William heard movement and noticed Allen looking in his direction.

For a moment he thought he had been spotted, but Allen casually scanned the forest and looked back at Colleen. "Then they'll know we're busy, and to come back later." Allen went back to kissing her and Colleen wrapped an arm behind his head.

William noticed Allen's hand disappear beneath Colleen's skirt, and even though her arm went to stop him, even William could see it was half-hearted. When hand did reappeared he was pulling a small piece of fabric down with it. "You won't need these for a while" Allen proclaimed, and tossed the panties down by the bushes.

Allen unbuckled himself and pushed Colleen's skirt up to her hips positioning himself between her thighs. Colleen looked nervous, but kept quiet until, "Ahh! Allen wait, I'm not...AHH!" Colleen gave a small cry of pain, and then went silent, turning her head toward her house as Allen began rapidly thrusting his hips into her. He mumbled a few half coherent words into her ear, and a few moments later, gave a groan and relaxed.

William was shaking from head to toe, sweat covered his forehead. He felt sick. They had just... He wanted to turn around and run but his body would not listen. He didn't even realize he was holding onto the tree branch until it snapped beneath the pressure.

The couple jumped up, Colleen backing toward her home as she pulled her dress into place. Allen scanned the wood line again, but William was reasonably sure he couldn't be seen. "Go on inside, I'll find out what that was." Allen said, and Colleen didn't hesitate to run for safety.

As soon as the door closed Allen focused dead on William. "Now you know. She's my girl." Allen stared a William for a moment, then he seemed to notice something at his feet. He picked something off the ground and chucked them at William, who caught the fabric reflexively. It was her panties.

"There you go. Maybe you will find a better use for them; she won't need them much anymore. Now get the fuck out of here, and don't let me see you around my woman again...geek." As Allen turned back to the house, William's body finally unlocked. He ran as fast as he could, leaving behind the tech, the fabric, and his heart. He didn't stop until he got home. Then he fell apart.

For two days William did nothing but rage, destroying everything around him, his home, his tech, but after two days something shifted inside him. He began delving into his gadgets like a man possessed. For nearly a year he literally climbed through the mountains of rubble of the Pre-Pulse Cities, searching for any usable tech, then he would have to haul it all the way back home and collapse in exhaustion, only to get up the next morning and start searching for more parts. He never went near Colleen's house again.

The only good thing he saw come from any of this was he was in the best shape he had ever been in, having added anther 20 lbs. of pure muscle onto his frame. It was less than a fortnight ago that he was finally able to succeed, and repair the pre-pulse tech. Now he was doing was awaiting the wagon that would take him from this place.

A vicious banging on his door woke William from his reverie. Wondering who the hell would disturb him out here at this hour he walked quickly to the door. He opened the spy hole, and then turned and bolted away as a raider slammed into the door. The raider sprung up swiftly, and seeing only William moved in with a knife drawn. All William could think about was his machine.

Reaching over he grabbed for his precious piece of tech, and clenched it tight to his chest. This had the unintentional effect of ripping the rag that had hidden the device from view and depressing the activation switch. Pure white light flooded the entire house as the heavy-duty flashlight powered up, blinding the raider.

William, however had become used to the light over the past week or so, and seeing the raider blinded William reached over and tore the knife from the raider's grip. The raider barreled into him knocking him to the floor. William noticed as the man began crawling up his legs he still held the knife, so he turned it around and as the raider drew himself even with him, he sank it deep into the raider's throat.

Blood poured over his hand, flowing down his arm, hot and thick and he let go of the blade, watching in horror as the raider thrashed around in an attempt to remove the deadly weapon from his neck. For several seconds the raider flailed around the room. Then, when his eyes finally focused, he gave William a look that seemed to ask, "How could you?" before he collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.

"What the Hell...?" William looked up and saw three more raiders flanking another, larger man. Where the raiders all had identical outfits, this man wore a similar uniform, but with no mask, a thick cape dyed the same hue of red all raiders wore, and an eye patch over his right eye. His jet-black hair matched his soulless eye perfectly. General Wood; the commanding officer of the Grimour Gang stared hard at him from the threshold of William's home.

William knew he could not survive against these men; he had only survived against one raider because of sheer dumb luck! There was no way out now, but, William was not going to just stand there and let himself be killed. The general however, had no such intentions. His eye shifted between the dead raider, the knife, William himself, and the flashlight still shining in William's hand.

"Bring him with us..." the general turned and walked away, not even waiting for his men to follow his orders. Of course William was right on his heels, the men dragging him from his home, and William prayed it was not to his death. They walked in silence, the general setting a furious pace that William had trouble keeping up with. They ended the trek beside the hotel where the rest of the village was currently being held, six wagons were stationed on the far side from William, while a seventh was placed directly in front of the hotel's double doors; holding the doors open, but blocking any escape attempt.

The general climbed into the seventh wagon and William scrambled in after him. The wagon had been retrofitted at some point it seemed. Whether made specifically for this purpose or just from the materials that were available when it was made, William wasn't sure, but the entire back part of the wagon had been made into a one-way mirror; he could see every member of the village from where he was, but none of them could see him. "What is your name?" General Wood asked as he sat in a chair by the entrance.

"William." He said, looking out at the throng, wondering what he was doing here.

"William...Pick yourself out a girl." The general was watching William with that same soulless eye as he gestured toward one side of the room. The village had been split into four different group arranged by age and gender, men on the left, women on the right, younger up front, elders in the back.

"What do you mean?" William asked anxiously turning the flashlight over and over in his hands. The general smiled in such a way William's blood turned cold...

Colleen was sitting in the corner of the hotel, holding the hand of the tiny figure beside her. She thought of Allen, lying on the ground lifeless and suppressed a tear. They had been dating nearly two years and she had cared for him. He had just proposed the night before, and Colleen hadn't seen much point in refusing. In a village this small her prospects weren't great, and she could've done worse than the mayor apparent.

A small commotion went up at the center of the room as one raider began issuing orders to another, who stood after a moment and began walking in her direction. The young girl beside her began to tremble violently, and Colleen was trying to to reassure her when the raider stopped and grabbed hold of her. "On your feet; you're coming with us." The raider sneered. Before anyone could react Colleen was hauled to her feet and led out another door.

William watched this all unfold from behind the mirrored glass. "Are you serious? You don't actually expect me to be

willing

to do this, do you!?" He asked with shaking hands.

"Whether you do it or not doesn't really interest me. You do it; she's yours, and you come with us. You don't do it; you die, I get a working piece of the old technology my guys can study... and a few of my soldier will entertain themselves with her for the night." The general was examining the flashlight now in his hands and spoke very matter-of-factly, but William knew not to test his sincerity. "Hell for this, I'll even throw in a bonus after it's done." General Wood held up the flashlight he now possessed. William turned and looked at him, but the General refused to say anymore, instead waiting for William's answer.

"Not in front of everyone. I can't do that to her. I WON'T." he emphasized.

Wood considered for a moment, then nodded. "We'll work around that little detail" he assured. Taking a deep breath William nodded, then climbed out of the wagon, and followed by the General, walked into the west wing of the hotel. Down the hallway they walked, past three teams of guards, all the way to the final door at the far end. William walked through it with as little hesitation as he could muster.

Colleen sat in the middle of the room with her wrists tied together in her lap. Her torn knee length skirt and ripped shirt evidenced her earlier fall, but otherwise she looked to be in perfect health. Her eyes lit up upon William's appearance; after all that had happened to her any familiar face was a welcome sight. Colleen had not really thought of 'Geep' during the attack, so she had not noticed his absence in the main hall of the hotel.

She looked down, ashamed at herself for their last meeting. The truth was she had been kind of flattered by Geep's advances. He was cute and kind of funny, but he worked with those Pre-Pulse technologies, which everyone considered taboo. When Allen had first noticed her early friendship with Geep he had begun picking on her for hanging out with 'the Hershy Bar' and was constantly berating Geep in front of her.

Colleen had disliked the way he was speaking of someone she considered a friend, but Geep was an outsider, and Colleen couldn't see herself with such a person so she constantly found herself instinctively shying away from Geep, even to the point of snapping at him quite seriously when he had asked for a simple date, and after that Geep stopped coming around her at all.

Finally, when Geep stopped coming around, Allen had started pushing her to go out with him. She didn't have much of a choice. Allen was the expected choice for mayor once old man Bill was dead, and she was the bachelorette teacher. Everyone in town kept asking when they were going to hook up. Those same people condemned Colleen for her relationship with 'The Geek'.

Regardless of what anyone said however, truthfully Colleen had always been quite taken with Geep, and had been quite flattered when he had asked her out, but her and Allen had just been in a major argument and she took it out on Geep. She always regretted the way she had treated him, but had never gotten the chance to apologize.

Then Allen and her got together that night, not long after. He had come over to apologize for the way he acted, and started to get frisky. Colleen got worked up and before she knew it, they were outside and he was on top of her. She hadn't enjoyed it. They had done it a few more times since, and he always said it was great, but it had never been that enjoyable for her.