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Here is another story i am working on. Don't worry I'm still writing Ashes to Ashes, but tell me how you like this one.
Chapter I
"My name is James Belarose. I am twenty three years old living in an underground sanctuary made by the American Government. Above us is the city of New York, or at least what ever is left of it. The year was 2013 when the worlds largest land volcano in Yellow Stone Park erupted and since then the world has been rotting away, left for dead in a Volcanic Winter. Months later the Government of these great states tried forming some sort of underground sanctuary for the people, but it was just too late. I'm not quite sure on the calculations of who made it and who didn't but out of the population of New York City only 60,000 people made it into these underground tunnels. But that population has most likely dropped in the twelve years that have passed since we were underground. The surface is no longer habitable; it's nothing besides a winter wasteland filled with weathered buildings and tattered existence of us when we once lived on the surface. The air up there is unbearable, ash and poisonous fumes linger above and any breathe is sure to kill you or even change you. Those who didnât make it underground now roam this winder wasteland but no longer looking or acting like the humans they once were. They are mutants, disfigured and untamed creatures maliciously attacking anything besides them. They are known as the Ash Walkers, and they fill the streets of New York by the millions, for whoever was left behind is now one of them. Other sort of creatures roam the surface as well, some not as dangerous and some far worse. We, the last remains of humanity try to stay away from the surface but the lack of food and supplies is constantly driving us up and the wars with the neighboring human colony only make things worse, its funny how we can have war in a time like this. The different beliefs and views between our leaders drove us to this conflict and now it seems as if this war between our two colonies will only end if one is wiped off the face of the earth, but until then we live on tooâ¦â¦"
James froze with his fingers steadily waiting on the typewriter before him, his friend Charles Mendel was coming. In pure embarrassment and shyness James quickly took a large ragged blanket covering the typewriter trying to conceal his passion of writing. Then to hide the large bulge in the blanket, he blew out the lantern hanging from his cell wall hiding the blanket within dark imperceptible shadows.
"Ah James there you are, I have been looking for you every where. Boris wants up to the tunnel gate now. Do you have your gear ready?" Charles comfortably leaned against the metal door at the front of James' cell like room waiting for an answer. He had his rug sack strapped tightly to him with his assault rifle secured at his side. His chest had a few extra ammo cartridges across it and a gas mask was dangling around his neck.
"Just let me say bye to Olivia and I'll meet you up there alright?" Replied James as he took up his rug sack fastening it around his back. Charles nodded his head with a smirk then left the small cell room walking out into the main tunnels. Olivia was quick to come into the room once seeing Charles leave and she tenderly hugged her husband James as he took up his assault rifle.
"Why can't you get another man to fill in your spot?" Asked Olivia as she held the stern chest of James. James sighed as he slid his combat knife into the side strap on his belt, "You know I can't do that Olivia, we need the extra supplies I get from these exhibitions and Boris will have my head if I miss another trip. I have to start picking up on some more surface trips or else we might get kicked out of the tunnels for no pulling our own weight." James held his wife has he spoke then placed his hand along her enlarged tummy rubbing it softly.
"I'm doing this for the baby, when he comes into this world I at least want him to have a comfortable life within these God forsaken tunnels. The world will already be hard enough for him when he is born, I can at least help by making it some what easier."
Olivia frowned and a slow rolling tear fell from her chin, but a smile came across her face when James delicately kissed her cheek giving her the warmth and comfort of love. She gave him one big hug and then unwilling let go as he took up his gas mask wrapping it around his neck.
"Be safe James."
James nodded his head to her and kissed her one last time before heading off into the main tunnel. The tunnel was dimly lit, lanterns and candles were the only source of light they had. People lounged around the tunnels with not much to do besides talk about gossip or rumors they had heard. People hung around the marketplace exchanging goods while others hung in the bar drinking their daily nightmares away. Those who had a sense of hard worked help with repairs and construction to better and improve tunnel living.
James met up with the others in the makeshift barracks constructed out of carts and tents, it didn't look professional but it was better than nothing. Five men stood dressed in gear ready to brave past the surface and search for supplies to help their fellow colony members. There was
William Godwin, Robert Antsel, Donald Green, Charles the friend of James, and Boris Ykluvant who was leading the surface trip.
"Alright boys, listen here and you might just stay alive. Gas masks on at all time, no wandering off and stay within the group. No loud noises and no sudden movements, and no trying to be a hero! We get in and we get out simple as that." Said Boris in his Russian accent. Boris was an immigrant from Moscow a year before the world destroying catastrophe happened. Boris always talked in his thick accent and whenever someone asked him why he always responded by saying, "Someone needs to carry on Russian culture, and this accent is part of Russian culture." Boris was the last one to get his gas mask on.
"Alright Remy!" Called Boris to the guard watching the large tunnel gate, "Open her, up we're heading out!"
****************
Matthew, being crouched at his side, breathed heavily into the gas mask surrounding his face. The sky above drifted with falling snow and the landscape before him was covered in dense ice. He was hiding within the sixth story of an apartment building looking out into the dilapidated street filled with weathering cars and beaming frost. The cold air nipped at his hands as he held his hunting rifle and the icy air fogged up the glass goggles of his gas mask making his vision unclear and blurred. Matthew would ever so often wipe away the growing blur on his mask but he seemed to never be able to get rid of it.
"Are you almost done back there?" Asked Matt as he saw a mutilated beast sprint across the street below.
"Hold on, hold on, all I have to do is attach a couple of wires and this radar system will be good as new. It's a shame the first one got broken, hopefully this one will have better luck." Replied Marshal Smith who was out on a ledge next to Matthew. Marshal was trying to set up a radar system that their colony used to help keep track of activity taking place on the surface above their tunnels. With this radar running smooth and active the tunnel below was able to check up on the frequent events happening above keeping their daily surface raids safe.
Matt sighed when looking at the once great New York Library being crumbled apart by the harsh weather. The whole city was falling apart, buildings had gaping holes in them and snow practically covered everything. The light from the sun wasn't encouraging to Matthew or Marshal, for the light was being shielded by the large toxic clouds lingering above and whatever light broke through glowed in a pure white yet haunting fashion upon the city. The world was no longer a beautiful place.
"Almost there Matthew not much longer." Mumbled Marshal as he twisted a few wires linking them together.
"How much longer is not much longer?" Replied Matthew in a nervous voice as he crouched next to a large decrypted hole in the room he was in. The apartment building seemed old and weathered and was stained in frost and violence. The howling wind riddled through the empty rooms crying out in sadness to only add more dread and terror to the heart of Matthew. Frost covered each room of the apartment and the once strong cement walls seemed to be collapsing due to the rust occurring within its' iron beams.
"I don't get why your so scared Matthew, the tunnel is no more than a few blocks away. If anything comes we can easily run back or just call for assistance."
"I'm just worried about running into some Northern Tunnelers." Replied Matthew.
"That's pretty much impossible, none of them would come this far out to just ambush two guys."
Matthew and Marshal were colony member's part of the Southern Tunnels in the New York district. "Southern Tunnelers" were what they were called by their enemy the "Northern Tunnelers" and for several years they had been fighting this enemy. Their brutality and hate had only grown over those past years and war between the two colonies seemed to never end.
Matthew, just like James, didn't understand how there could be conflict between their two colonies. They were all humans, they were all fighting for survival, and they all needed each other help. The colonies bitter rivalry had progressed so greatly that they would open fire on each other without any warning or instigation at all. Yet Matthew was not like this and neither was James.
Matthew was a man of hard work and character, he only agreed to going out on surface missions for the extra supplies it offered and he needed these supplies to support his wife and new born baby daughter. Matthew was on a mission of making life easier for his wife and child, life was already hard enough on them so the least he could do was try to add some comfort. James and Matthew would have been best friends if it wasn't for the fact that James was a Northern Tunneler and Matthew was a Southern. Because of this simply difference of who they followed they were ordered to be hateful enemies.
"Alright all done here." Cheered Marshal as he stood from his crouching position. He then tapped the screen of the radar system and soon enough a little green dot began blinking signifying that it was up and running.
"Good! Lets get the hell out of here now." Replied Matthew as he left the room followed by Marshal close behind. Their head lights shined over the dark hallway they were marching down illuminating the path before them providing a sense of direction. The suns faded uncomforting yet light providing rays could not reach the interior of the apartment so the men had to travel by the bright beams of their head lights.
"You remember where the stair case is at?" Asked Matthew as he stepped over a fallen cement beam in the middle of the hall way crunch a cluster of ice beneath his feet.
"I thought you had remembered the way." Replied Marshal following the same actions of Matthew.
"Ah great," Matthew paused for a second, âHere I think it's this way." He then quickly turned down another hall way skillfully holding his gun at the ready prepared for anything to come at him. Finding the staircase Matthew led the shaky way down and out into the forsaken windy streets.
The harsh wind speed pounded against their bodies spraying snow into their faces biting at their exposed skin while blurring their gas masks. Breathing heavily into the filters of his gas mask Matthew forcefully pushed his way through the strong winds coming behind an over turned car. Marshal, who was close behind Matthew, naturally wiped the glass on his gas mask giving him some sort of a better view. After catching their breathes they continued their journey.
With every step they took ice crunched beneath them and surrounding them were tall desolated buildings crying out for attention. Their empty dark halls seemed uninviting and the snow covering them petrified all who dared to enter. The winter wasteland was an unforgiving place and showed no mercy, it seemed as if God himself could not survive in this bare landscape.
"It's like the wind is getting stronger!" Cried Marshal as he breathed deeply into the filters of his gas mask. His voice was clogged and muzzled due to his mask but Matthew being used to talking with gas masks on understood every word.
"There must be a storm coming, it's usually never this strong!" Replied Matthew as he opened the doors to the warehouse building built above their secret secured tunnel. Once getting in Matthew closed the doors and took harsh breathes of air thankfully blessing the clean filters on his mask for providing the air to him. The harsh winds of the surface world could not penetrate the walls of the warehouse so they both stood steady and firm when walking across the floor. Yet the outside walls would sometimes rattle and stir making them both nervous from time to time.
"Job well done I do say." Sighed Marshal as he staggered his way across the barren warehouse floor. The soundless building seemed ghastly by just being so unfulfilled and bleak, it was no safe haven. But fortunately for Matthew and Marshal it was the perfect hiding place for the entrance into their tunnel home and no one besides their own colony members knew of the entrance. Not wasting any more time Matthew and Marshal were quick to get to the entrance and enjoy the safety and somewhat comfortable feel their tunnel homes gave them, but how much longer would these feelings last?
- 5 Replies
Feel free to give me input, lol. Take time reading it, you might like it.
This is very good, I like the plot very much. A few grammatical errors but other than that its good. Please continue.
So this story is more of an adult story, it has some cussing but is very good, or at least in my opinion. Tell me what you guys think.
"Boris! We have to head back the storm is getting stronger!" Screamed William as he pushed his way through the blizzard. The snow being blown across the unfruitful street pounded against the menâs faces cutting and stinging them. They had been out gathering supplies a couple miles away from their tunnel entrance and the fast coming storm was covering the landscape providing them with ill direction.
"It's too dangerous to head back now! We have to get into cover and let the storm pass!" Roared Boris through his gas mask that splintered and rattled his voice. After moving through a shattered phone booth Boris worked his way up some stairs opening the door to a department store, "In here comrades!"
James was the last to get inside the cover of the building and he needed the help of Charles who tightly held his wrists pulling him in, the door was shut and the snow that once poured through the open door was now being shielded and sent back out. The weeping wind blew through the open windows and shook the sides of the building stirring up the men in a sense of unsteadiness. The small holes in the roof also added uncertainty to them as snow softly drifted down passionately falling upon them as they walked across the floor.
They were all scared of being trapped inside this unknown store waiting for the storm to pass, anything could be lingering inside waiting for them and they had to be prepared. The store was large and wide with rows after rows of tall racks. Frost covered everything limiting the view of the men and providing good hiding places for any creatures inside. Boris knew he had to find some sort of room to hide in and use as a safe haven giving them protection from the possible attacks that could come. And after spotting a room at the end of the store at the top of a metal stair case he had found his safe haven.
"Alright boys we got to get to the room at the far left corner; it's our best bet to surviving through this storm, William and Robert take point." Boris' Russian accent seemed harder to understand because of the gas mask that he had on constricting his words making them seem compacted and muzzled, but the men understood his command.
"And why am I always stuck with leading us out of danger." Mumbled Robert sarcastically as he flicked on his head lamp giving him a better view through the dark hazing snow. The suns white indelicate and ghastly rays could only shine through the small holes and tattered windows that so infrequently covered the building. So the store was mostly dark with some dim white patches of light here and there, this added paranoia to the men.
"Cut the jokes Robert we already have enough shit to deal with." Replied Donald.
"Does that shit include the poor aim Charles has?" Mocked Robert as a smirk arose over his face.
"Fuck you Robert." Retorted Charles as he held his middle finger up to the face of smirking Robert.
"All of you cut it out, now is not the time to clown around we need to focus on getting to that room." Commanded Boris ending the jokes that Robert was passing around.
William and Robert fearfully led the way through the isle of the store carefully trying not to make noise. James was close behind William and he to watch every step he made making sure that nothing would crunch or creak beneath his feet. Charles, breathing heavily into his gas mask, had a shuttering hand and twitching eyes so due to his terror he held his gun close to his side. Donald wasn't to afraid of the situation he was in, he had been in the army before the world came tumbling down so he was used to intense situations. He walked proudly and boastfully holding his automatic shotgun across his shoulder. As they got closer to the stair case leading to their room a sound trickled off in the distance.
Boris raising his hand signaled for the small group of men to stop then pointed at Robert and William to check around the corner of a large shelf in front of them. Rolling his eyes Robert slowly and cautiously crept towards the end of the large shelf. At first Robert saw nothing, but when adjusting the light on top of his head to shine down the row he was inspecting a vile decrypted beast crouched over its recently killed animal beamed its red eyes back at Robert, Robert had just disturbed the dinner of a creature known as the "Mutt", a very and I mean very bad mistake one could commit.
Mutts were mutilated wild beast once known as the loving dog. The toxic fumes are to blame for mutating these creatures into decrypted vile monsters changing their affection nature into a dangerous one. Mutts were bigger, stronger, and faster from the average dog they once were. Overall mutts were beasts of decay and death, and when there was one there was a whole pack behind it.....
*******************
"My name is Matthew Renalds, I am twenty four and have a daughter named Lillian, she will be one next month. My wife is Isabella, she is twenty five and I have known ever since I was little even before the eruption of Yellow Stone. I have never been fond of a journal because I have never really seen a point in keeping one. But now with little to do and much on my mind I find it better to write what I have to say instead of screaming it at next Northern Tunneler I shoot at. I donât like or cherish the conflict we have with the human colony in the Northern Tunnels, and if it was up to me I wouldn't fight them at all. I would lay down my rifle and call for a peace offering, but sadly our leaders don't think the same way. And if I want to stay within these tunnels keeping my wife and child safe then I can't disobey an order, even if those orders include firing at another man simply because he is from a different tunnel. I personally think God himself made the volcano in Yellow Stone Park erupt to end our violent kind or to at least just reduce us to tunnels. It's pretty unbearable down here at times, but at least more substantial then the surface above. I can barely remember what it was like, twelve years ago was the last time I saw earth as its beautiful green self. The year was 2013, making the current year now 2025, time sure does fly when you're stuck in a tunnel surviving off the scraps of the world. I just pray to God that someday....."
The small cell light on the roof of Williams' room went out leaving him and his typewriter in blackness. The storm had been banging against the warehouse above shaking the tunnels entrance, so something must have made the lights go out, but this was common during a blizzard. The generators were over used and old so any hard pounding made them inefficient. A small innocent sound of a baby crying rang out from the room next door and William quickly left his typewrite behind checking on his baby girl.
"Don't worry Will she just got scared that's all." Said his wife Isabella as she rocked her baby back and forth hoping to comfort her back to sleep. Isabella had light red hair and soft delicate skin; she was the envy of all women in the tunnel. Her beauty had no bounds and her kind spirit matched the loving heart of William.
Taking hold of his still crying daughter William gently stroked her cheek rocking her softly and gently. Lillian made no more sounds of sadness as her father held her; she simply closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"I have been trying all day to get her to go to sleep and now five seconds with you she passes out." Sighed Isabella as she folded her arms looking at her husband hold his child.
"She just likes me more; your'e going to have to face it that she will probably be a daddy's girl." Smirked William as he set Lillian in a make shift cradle before him. William then had a look come over his face, the type of look he had when he had bad news to share with his wife. And right away she knew about his look and questioned him on what was the matter.
"William you better tell me right now why you have your 'bad news' look." Commanded Isabella.
"Tomorrow night there will be an assault on a Northern Tunneler outpost about five miles from here. My squad was brought up as one of the squads leading the assault." Replied William in a weary tone, William took a seat looking up to his distraught wife.
"Don't they know you are a father? Can't they respect that you have a family that needs you?" Replied his wife in a hard stern voice that had a hint of sadness in it.
"Isabella, practically every man in this tunnel as a family to take care of all, its just that my squad is full of youngsters so we are more likely to lead the fight. I have already talking to Denis my squad leader and he said there is no way of backing out of this fight. Ther's nothing I can do."
"You can refuse! They can't make you go if you don't want to!"
"If I refuse they will kick us out it's as simple as that, I have to go."
Isabella came to the lap of her husband sitting on him while hugging him sincerely. "How can men fight each other in a time like this William?" Whimpered Isabella in a soft tone hoping not to wake the baby.
William had no answer for her; he didn't know why they were constantly fighting with the neighboring human colony. The only thing he knew was that he had to survive. He wasnât going to leave his widowed wife behind with a new born baby. Even though he hated the fact of firing a rifle in attempts of killing another human he had to do it, and do it at the best of his abilities. Survival was the only option he had, it was either kill or be killed, and he had chosen to kill but not for the sake of the colony he lived in, but for the sake of his family.
They "censor" the curse words.
Big OP.
Nice story, it flows very nicely.
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