Thread: The Ruin of Mankind

X X X X This should be enough caps for your effort . Two shrouded figures stood under the dim lighting of the moon in the vast wasteland about a mile from Guttergrudge. One of them, a roaming merchant whom always returned to the settlement after a day's work, would extend his frail hand outwards to the other. The deep and gruff voice belonged to the hooded figure standing before the overweight salesman a tan colored duster clung to his gigantic figure with the attached shawl thrown over the male's face. A complete palate of black shadow covered all distinguishing facial features but the radiant glow of slate blue eyes. The mysterious figure would place a few bottlecaps, which emitted a metallic rattle upon falling, in the merchant's opened hand before he spoke again. Make sure it's posted by morning, now go . It was then the two parted ways and the morning began to welcome all survivors to another day. As the sun peaked over the horizon of the ruins of civilization, the vultures took to the skies to find what had been slain overnight. The ominous birds circled the dead corpses in various areas of the dusty wasteland of California wolves were dragging their prey home into the myriad of underground shelters they found refuge in. Large waves of arid dust would follow the currents of the wind much like the swells of the ocean. There was nothing for miles between the colonies of Guttergrudge and Bloodridge. An abandoned house here or there, which had been decimated by the Great War, or a desolate gas station that lacked the valuable resource fueling Cali's hog. However, it wasn't that long before Cali would come in eye-shot of the collapsed city on a hill everyone called Bloodridge. It was the destination her contract marked out as to be the area in which the merchant had been attacked a few days ago. Because of it's history, half of Bloodridge's houses had been found at the base of the tall hill in pieces. Weather had finally done in a section of the hill that had been unsound years after societal collapse sending the residents and their homes to a sudden death one night. Ever since the incident, much of the population cleared out in fear the rest of the hill could possibly collapse under itself. The sight through Cali's binoculars would yield nothing out of the ordinary. Every house remaining on the hill was decrepit looking. In fact, they looked more like shacks built of fragile wood than what had been considered homes before the war. Mail boxes were laid out across the small streets that outlined the unkempt yards. Fences were incomplete or outright destroyed cars were abandoned at every corner, and lamp posts were nothing but covered in sand. A single road would lead right up the slope of the hill and into Bloodridge. The fortified walls that surrounded the city did nothing to keep anyone out - they had long since been maintained once the residents left. Cali would startle a few black birds perched atop of a broken bench that surrounded a make-shift campfire in the middle of town. The sound of a screen door flapping in the strong breeze could be heard occasionally, but there was no activity besides her own. That is, until she caught the attention of a man aimlessly standing in the middle of the road with his back to her. Said man only had on a simple pair of brown pants that hung from his very slender hips. His back was equally skinny and the sight of bones could be seen poking against the flesh. The bald figure was covered in tattoos, with a large metal collar clasping his neck. It was a moment later that the man turned, and noticed Cali marching up the road in her search for clues. Turn away! Now! Suddenly, the frail male would dash for her. His bare feet would thud against the pole-hole littered street as he began to sprint with the sway of his arms. He didn't seem like a mutant, nor a ghoul. Instead, he was a man with a rather deranged look in his eye and a blinking collar around his neck. He was getting closer, and closer to her... what would she do? Leave! They'll get you too!