Note from Author:
Hi Everyone,
I am in no way a writer or have any experience as a writer. This is my first piece and I hope you like it! All characters are over the age of 18 and are not based on any real or fictional people. Would love to get some comments/votes!
Sincerely,
Missliterotica
Chapter 1: Introduction
"I can give you two days' worth," the mouth breather said. I shook my head and put my hand up to indicate five days. The man is disgusting. He doesn't take care of himself and his clothes are almost falling apart. I may have felt bad for him if I didn't know he'd hurt me if he knew my secret.
"No way. 12 bullets are not worth five days' worth of food" he said to me while shaking his head. I went to collect the bullets and take my trade elsewhere but he slammed his hand down on the table and sighed "Fine, fine. I get it. How about four days?" he offered. I considered him for a moment and determined that four days was better than having to interact with another man at the outpost. I nodded my head and he handed me a couple of bags of cans and water bottles.
While I was walking away, the mouth breather said "You better hide son, it's going to be dark soon, and you're slight enough to tempt someone". His words made me shiver for the truth of them. If only he knew my secret. If only he knew I was a woman. There were so few of us left that we are hunted in this apocalyptic wasteland.
Staring at myself in the mirror of a random gas station bathroom in the country. I'm crying so hard. I watched so many of my friends die today... how am I supposed to go on without them? They were such beautiful and caring women. How could what's left of humanity do this? Fuck my hands won't stop shaking...
I have to keep my head down and leave as quickly as possible. I'm terrified that I'll be recognized as a woman despite my clothing, lack of hair and dirt on my face. I'm weaving through a crowd of men that have no eyes for me and yet the anxiety of being caught will never cease.
Ever since that day in what I used to call Haven where I had to bear witness to so many women raped, taken and murdered I couldn't shake the feeling someone knew I was there. I know that it's not rational but while I was hiding in the tree, sobbing and clutching a hand to my mouth so I'd be quiet, I was sure one of the men saw me. It felt like he looked right at me in the tree, right into my eyes. But that's impossible.
Nevertheless, I was extremely paranoid and never stayed in the same place for more than 2 nights at a time. Luckily that's the best way to survive this apocalypse. Without a group of people to help protect each other, I was on my own and I preferred it that way. I've seen too many people die at the hands of each other but most often at the hands of a half-dead rage-filled zombie. That's what hurts the most about watching my friends and community taken and murdered right in front of me, it wasn't even the zombies who can't control themselves. It was men. Who has every ability to control themselves and choose not to for their own selfish, disgusting....
"Oof" came out of my mouth before I could stop it when I ran into a giant. It was a feminine sound because I wasn't expecting to walk into what felt like a brick wall in the middle of the trading outpost. By the look of the bottom of the man and his 3 companions, they were mercenaries. My heart picked up in speed immediately and I tried to gruffly escape but one grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back.
"Aren't you going to say something?" the Mercenary harshly asked. I stared at the bottom of their legs and hoped they'd leave me alone. My heart was pounding and my entire body broke out in heat. If they saw my face they'd see my blush and know immediately. But I was saved by none other than the mouth breather.
"Kid's a mute. He doesn't speak man," he said abruptly.
While they were distracted and looking at the mouth breather I bolted. Luckily years as a dancer gave me enough agility to be quick and quiet. When I rounded the corner of another car and ducked down I let out the ball of air that was in my lungs. That's just when I realized that the car that I was hiding behind belonged to the mercenaries. I almost laughed. Almost......
I woke up in the back seat of a car. I could feel us moving and hear the white noise of the car. My head was killing me. Before I opened my eyes, I took stock of my situation. My arms are tied behind my back and my ankles together. I was laid on my side in the back seat of some kind of vehicle. Likely the truck that I was hiding behind before. I rolled my eyes. Just so annoyed that I was stupid enough to have done that.