Help Me...

Posted on Thu Apr 1st, 2021 @ 9:44am by Johnathan Anderson Junior
Edited on on Tue Apr 6th, 2021 @ 11:09am

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Free Cloud, Stardust City
Tags: Challenge 1
555 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The Man, was his name, Anderson? He couldn't quite remember. He thought it was just a dream. But then, there was the angel. She had continued to appear to him in his dreams. Was she real? Or was she a hallucination, brought on by starvation and constant pain?

The cold season was ending, albiet slowly. The Man was finding the nights down in the sewers easier to take. The steam pipes weren't running quite so hot now.

He was standing in line with others that seemed to be like him. Forgotten, broken, unwanted. They were all waiting for the daily ration that the local charity board was giving out. He hoped he wasn't too late this time. Last week, when the board came by, he had missed getting a good spot in line by three people. It didn't help that, each week, the ration line was formed up in a different location. If a line was missed altogether, it would take a stroke of good luck to happen upon the next one.

The line shuffled forward again. All these strange voices around him, he had no idea what anyone was saying. He could make out a general idea from how they behaved. He, himself, hadn't said a word in, well, he couldn't remember. However, one word kept trying to form on his lips. He knew that he knew it, but, it just wasn't coming forward. He would keep trying after he ate. Hopefully, getting some decent food into his stomache would help...

There was a sudden uproar a few spots ahead of him. There was a struggle between two people like him, one really big and the other really small. He couldn't understand the sounds coming from their mouths, but, it looked like the bigger one was trying to take the smaller one's ration.

The charity board person qas saying somthing in a terse tone, which was directed at the bigger one. It snarled something back and shoved the little one down. Angered, the charity board person shut down the rest if the rations and seemed to call out for help.

The Man turned when he heard the rapid stomping of the approaching Guardsmen. It was a sound he knew well. Out of habit, he cowered away, presenting as small a target to the merciless guardsmen. However, before they reached the bigger one, it gurgled something in surprise, then yellowish fluid began to pour out of its mouth. Then its nose, then one long, bloody spike shot out from its only eye, and it fell to the ground, the little one riding it down, cackling some giberish.

A beat after the bigger one was still, the whe area erupted in bedlam. Everyone was screaming and trying to get away, several people, the Man included were trampked over by the frightened masses. Suddenly, there was qeapons fire and more screaming. The little one had leapt to the nearest guardsman and was clawing at his faxe and throat.

Finally, the guardsman's partner got a lucky shot, or, mostly lucky. The smaller one had a large hole in its head, but, so did the partner now as well.

During the confusion, the Man crawled away as quickly as his injured body would let him. He needed food soon, or, well, maybe he'll see his angel in the end.