American Wasteland

He sat at the decayed bar with a shot of whiskey in front of him. The wailing of at least five “crunchers” could be heard outside walking the desolate streets. He sighed and looked into the cracked mirror behind the bar. Looking back was a man in his thirties with short cropped black hair, dark hazel eyes, and a short beard that covered his chin and jaw line that stared to show some grays.

Sitting on the bar next to him at the ready are his weapons and accessories. The first is a modified auto shotgun and the second is a medium sized machete that is always kept sharp and cleaned. Designed on the blades front and back is a Chinese black dragon holding a black orb. A dark grey trench coat laid draped over his modified Kevlar armor that is built to protect and yet allow him to be agile when needed. The last piece that also stared in the mirror as if it was staring right back at him is an industrial gas mask with green lenses.

He sat listening to the wailing outside and the whispering behind him while staring into the mirror. “Dad do you think will see mom again?” a young teen said behind him. “We have a better chance now with this man then we did before son, we just have to listen to everything he says and will see her very soon, I promise you.” The father said back to his son with some doubt in his voice. The young teenage boy looked to the man at the bar. “Do you know why this has happened are we being punished?” The man didn’t turn and only continued to look in the mirror “I wish I knew and I had an answer for you, because I would like to know myself.” He sighed and began thinking back to what he did know of the past while he was there waiting for the dawn to come…

I have been told that history has always been written in books on how a war is caused and how it ends and what we can learn from such an event. The recent past till now is written out there somewhere but where or what it is will remain a mystery until we find the answers it holds. Of course if we look to those past books who really knows the outcome except for those who lived it. Lucky for me I have lived this saga from the very start and this is what I know so far.

There are many opinions and accusations on how the dead have risen from the grave and walk the earth. Some blamed the governments, their scientists, and the viruses they have or have been accused of creating. Others say God or a god if you will has deemed us all damned and this is our punishment that we have brought upon ourselves. While there are some who always knew this day was coming and the sick thing about it is they have wanted it to come at that. Well I hope you’re happy you sons of bitches you got your wish and now we have to deal with it.

Anyway you look at it the end result so far has come in two forms that has changed our lives forever. First the dead have decided to rise from the grave horror fans rejoice, I guess call it a lack of boredom or something and the best part is they have one thing on there minds... an extreme hunger. Now I'm not talking lets go down to the latest burger joint or such, no sir that would be too easy. While our friendly neighborhood unearthed crawled from the ground they have craved flesh, blood, and even bone. Sounds like a four course meal to me if I ever heard of one. Hence their nicknames "crunchers" yep we as society is crazy like that, we come up with names for everything even in the direst of situations. I guess the theory has always been if it has a name you can’t be as scared of it…yeah I call that bullshit! You try having four to five crunchers coming your way the very first time and you tell me you’re not scared.

The second thing we deal with now is this wasteland of what we used to call America. The good ole U S of A is now the home of the decayed and very few of the brave I may add. Movies, books, and culture had us all ready for what they called the apocalypse, I heard many people used to say yeah let it come and I’ll kick it in its balls. Jokes on them now because when this mutha hit it hit real hard and I have met some who have just welcomed insanity then try to cope with what it is. Call it hell on earth if you want because maybe we our damned and are being punished or maybe it’s the ultimate test for the human race to see if we can survive and endure. Either way it’s a fucking disaster and its survival know matter where you turn.

After the unearthed awoke towns have been burned and destroyed, people have took to becoming even crazier then they already were, seen any of those post apocalyptic movies yeah it’s worse then that, and lets not even get into how our government has reacted to the certain cities that were completely overrun with the dead. Remember that crazy place called New York yeah lets just say I would wear a gas mask any time you entered now as our scientists use it for the ultimate test field to play with. I bet these scientists go to bed with a smile on there face and a hard on as they go to sleep at night, knowing they get to wake up and play with whatever is in the city dead or alive. I have heard the stories and I shudder to think that people brave the city looking for supplies to only become test rats to these mad scientist fuckers. Of course from what I hear New York isn’t the only city and I got a feeling it won’t be the last.

Years have come and gone as our resources are getting thinner and thinner that are outside the cities. Which has created the situation I am in right now with these two behind me and saving they’re asses? For the government itself I have heard it has collapsed and only small pockets are hidden away to do gods knows what. The law itself has become just as wild as it was while we were discovering this land of ours. People that joined together started forming factions and claiming territory while others have just wanted to survive and live in peace.

Remember all those movies about the Wild West; you know how some places were peaceful while others were chaotic and restless. We'll welcome to the American Wasteland as it is now…

His thoughts produced a woman and a child sitting by his side and he smiled for a second before he shook his head and under his breathe said “not today but soon.”

The man they called Paladin shot back his whiskey and got his gear together. The father and son saw him get up, put on his jacket, and grab his weapons. They also had a couple guns by their side with only a small amount of ammo to them. Paladin motioned to the people behind him to be ready as he made his way to door. Before he opened the door his thoughts recalled to why he was at this bar in the first place playing guardian…

I was hired by the wife and her brother to get this man and his son and bring them back. When you live outside of the city food and supplies don’t last very long and if you’re brave enough you’ll head into a bigger town or a city seeking out supplies to live. Of course you deal with a few outcomes when you do this: First there are the crunchers to deal with, second there is the chance of other scavengers or just some sick fuckers calling the town there own with there own agendas on top of that. Which can lead you to both disappearing and never coming back, or finding yourself in a fate worse then death?

To me helping against the chaos out there and getting some money to stay stocked up works with me just fine. I follow a system of honor like the knights of old that I read about when I was a child. Of course being a knight for a kingdom was a lot easier on the equipment I bet. While out here keeping your guns and stomach full is not free, so money has to come into the picture and helping others in a time of need is just the thing to keep me going and to keep my mind off of the past….

Paladin threw the door opened and swiftly checked his sides. No crunchers in sight good they must have moved on for now. The outskirts of the city weren’t far off and his Harley waited next to the family’s truck. They stared moving silently when a wild dog appeared around the corner. Paladin sighed knowing he didn't have time for this. The dog charged full of hunger jumping for Paladins throat. Paladin gave a quick side kick and sent the dog crashing into the set of trash cans by there side. The dog shook its head and started to get up for another round when its head exploded against the decayed trash cans. The sound of thunder exploded in the streets from the gun the boy just shot. Paladin swore under his breath and turned to the boy and father "we better move now, that sound is going to bring the entire city down on us!"

Wailing sounds echoed in the city as the crunchers were on the move and it wouldn't be long till they found the trio. Moving fast they cleared a few streets before they ran into a set of ten crunchers. "Ok kid I hope your shot is as good as it was before because were going to need it!" Paladin moved with a certain grace as he grabbed the shotgun from his back and took down two of the flesh eating monsters. He turned and found out that the father and son were better then he thought as only one cruncher was making its way toward them. Paladin swung his shotgun onto to his back and unsheathed his machete. He smiled under his mask as he danced in slicing the crunchers head clear off. As the head thumped to the ground the trio took no time to admire there work and was swiftly running away.

Getting to there vehicles they had no more encounters and rode off down the cracked street back to the small town. Upon arriving the wife was overwhelmed and some of the other town people welcomed there friends with joy. Paladin stayed and enjoyed a meal of cooked fish while he gave some tips to the scavengers on surviving the odds.

Morning came he said his goodbyes, restocked his supplies, and got on his bike. The cycle continued as he rode off down the decayed streets always finding someone in need of the knight in this American wasteland...