Fallout 3: Diary of the Dead

[species5478]

Sept 22nd, 5:05 am

 

 

 

It was more than a violation of body…it was a breach of mind and soul. Cornered by the trapping of another's lust, I shivered from the cold memories of his defiling hands as they assaulted like a pair of pillaging marauders…

 

Revenge.

 

Revenge was my only solace.

 

And now...finally, revenge was within my grasp.

 

My target had become more than a mere man to me. He was the Devil incarnate. His death (at my hands) was the only way to purify the diseased thoughts littering my mind; trashing my emotions; polluting my thoughts like the tainted waters of the Wasteland.

 

He should have stayed in Megaton. That punk sheriff Juan Lucas Sims…kept an eagle's eye on me the entire time I was there. He must have seen the bloodlust in my eyes, or smelled the stench of murderous intent that reeked from my pores. All I know is that the guy was perceptive. I heard the sheriff had the fastest hands this side of the Wastes too, but I'm sure I could have killed him in a fair dual. Would have, if he didn't have his son with him. I couldn't deprive that kid of his father though, it would have been…unladylike. But now that Python had slithered back into one of his holes, there was no way of caging the furious maelstrom brewing inside my heart.

 

This time, Jury Street Station had become his gang's newest lair. Python didn't leave any guards posted outside but once I snuck into the dilapidated station, things got a lot more dangerous. Most of the exits and side rooms were blocked with debris. I didn't find any booby traps and decided to set all three landmines that I bought from the roaming caravan outside of Megaton. I placed them carefully inside the main corridor and mentally marked their location before proceeding onward.

 

After emerging inside Jury Street Station's main junction room, I was sickened by the sight of Python's latest victim. Her naked body lay stiff amongst a pile of rotting beds. The girl's insides appeared mangled, as though ripped apart by some wild carnivorous beast. Pieces of flesh lay strewn about. Clothes torn to shreds. The sight was too horrifying to bear. I turned away as a tear licked my cheek, and found safety amongst the shadows.

 

Some of Python's crew gathered near the body; sitting at a picnic table popping cherry bombs as they gloated about their most recent exploits. One of them foolishly left his newly constructed bottlecap mine on a nearby workbench. I quickly scooped it up, and watched as Python descended a nearby escalator, disappearing into the station's lower level. There was no traditional way of following without being seen, so I used the only Stealth Boy in my inventory to camouflage my insertion. I planned on using it for my escape, but if I had to die for my revenge, so be it.

 

Even with the Stealth Boy activated I followed from a discrete distance and crept slowly through the darkness.

 

Enigmatically.

 

Patiently.

 

Deliberately.

 

Silently following Python's every movement as though I were his shadow. He was a man of privacy who always required moments to himself. It was the one weakness I planned on exploiting, and the only way of confronting him one on one. The northern end of Jury Station had collapsed under its own weight, but the southern remained open. This is where Python and the rest of his gang now headed. I tailed them to a small alcove about halfway between both ends of the station, and waited.

 

"I'm going to chill out here," Said Python to his three thugs. "Go scout ahead and make sure there aren't any Radroaches lurking around. And stay the hell out of my sight! I feel like taking a nap." None of his men objected and as usual, slavishly did as they were told. Once they were out of sight, I successfully set the salvaged Bottlecap Mine before my Stealth Boy deactivated.

 

Python froze when I suddenly popped into view, stared at me awkwardly, and then smiled wickedly. "I remember you…yeah I'll never forget that sweet sweet ass. Broke your daughter in so good, you just had to come back for your own taste, huh?"

 

"My daughter was a virgin you sick, disgusting animal." I scowled, cocking my pistol. "She was only seven. Seven! Now she's dead because of what you did to her. You took something from me that I can never get back; I'm here to return the favor."

 

Python's lips curled as I fingered my weapon's trigger. The animal killed more than his fair share of men, women, and children. His death meant as much to them, as it did to me. When I aimed for his chest, the slithery punk dropped a flash grenade the moment I pulled the trigger. The discharge from my weapon was masked by his grenade's detonation, and as I was blinded by light, I could hear the sizzle of bullets whizzing past my head. I ducked around the nearest corner as my left arm burned from a bullet that found its mark.

 

"I'm sending you to hell Python!"

 

I switched the gun to my good hand, reached around the corner, and fired a few shots. I could hear yelling from the adjacent train tracks and knew it was only matter of time before Python's gang found me. Then, there was a massive "boom" as the Bottlecap mine exploded. When my vision cleared, I peeked around the corner and found Python standing dazed in the alcove's center. The fool who made the explosive used a dud cherry bomb, and the mine only partially exploded. I had to finish the job.

 

I dashed to Python's side before he knew what happened. "Her name was Marie," I said raising the pistol to Python's head. "And she was only seven years old…"

 

Boom!

 

When I scattered Python's brains onto the rails of a nearby train track, I felt as though a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. But there was no time to relish the moment. Footsteps chattered against the hollowed tunnels and to evade them, I had to move fast. I scooped up the remaining flash bomb from Python's corpse and dashed around the far corner.

 

"Over there!" I heard someone yell. "I saw her! That way!"

 

"Python's dead! She killed him!"

 

"Don't let that trick escape!"

 

When I emerged on the opposite end of the tunnel, I noticed shadowy silhouettes hiding amongst the rusted trains scattered along the tracks. I panicked, tripped over an old tricycle, and fell right on my ass seconds before a missile skewered the air above my head, singing the tips of my hair with its fiery exhaust. The missile howled like a tormented banshee before crashing into the chest of my nearest pursuer. An ear-shattering explosion sent fiery body parts flying in all directions, pausing the remaining men as they looked on, horrified. Seizing on the moment's confusion, I threw my flash grenade towards the rusted trains and dashed up the escalator as my saboteurs were blinded. Gunshots sparked the ground around my feet while others dotted the surrounding walls with bullet holes. I almost forgot the landmines that I'd placed in the main hallway, and nearly blew myself up with my own precautions. I kicked down the station door, and scurried up the stairs like a wild animal on my hands and knees.

 

"Drop the pistol!"

 

I nearly defecated when I saw the Chinese assault rifle pointed at my face. I thought I was dead, but then I realized these guys were from Talon Company.

 

"We're looking for a guy named Python. Have you seen him?"

 

I was so out of breath, that all I could do was point downward, towards the substation. The echo of exploding landmines could be heard from where we stood and before I could beg for my life, one of the Mercs pushed me aside as Python's thugs came barreling into view.

 

"Light em up boys!"

 

I slipped away as the Mercs showered Python's gangs with bullets. I didn't feel safe until I made it back to Megaton and even then, I remained unnerved by everything that had just happened. After paying the local doc to stitch up my bullet wound, I stocked up on a few supplies and left town under the cover of night. There was a guy I met a while back…think was his name was Tobar. The ferryman promised to take me away from the Wasteland and into a place called Point Lookout. Now that I have the caps, I plan on buying a ticket, and getting the hell out of here. Hopefully, he's still docked in that ugly riverboat…

[dezdimona]

very cool. I enjoyed it immensly :thumbsup:

[Herculine]

Very well written. It looks like we have another writer with the skills of a professional here!

[species5478]

Thanks dezdimona,

 

Your opinion means a lot to me!

[species5478]

Thanx Herculine...I'm glad you enjoyed it!

:biggrin:

[species5478]

October 23^rd 4:32 pm

 

 

I should never have come here. Point Lookout isn't what I'd expected. This place is saturated with a strange kind of…evil. Sure the Capitol Wasteland was filled with all sorts of baddies, but there was an inherent normalcy back home that eludes this place. Worst of all, I'm nearly out of caps and I can't afford a return ticket. Damn that Tobar! He suggested that I go to some burning building in the distance but I'm done taking his "advice"; I'm heading north.

 

Humidity filled the air with an oppressive blanket of moisture. Thick, swampy winds scoured the lifeless amusement park ahead of me, sweeping years of discarded trash to and fro. Crows circled in the distance; alluding to the presence of life, or danger. I quickly found a Gypsy alone in the amusement park's abandoned square. A lone Protectron class robot was her only protection but she seemed un-faded by the encroaching solitude, or the dangers that accompanied it.

 

"It isn't over." She said mystically as I approached.

 

"Over?" I questioned with furled brows. "What are you talking about? Look…I just want to buy a few things before resting in that hotel."

 

"You didn't come by here chance. The winds howled her name for thirty days, and thirty nights. You followed her here, because she cannot rest."

 

I started to back away but as I listened to the wind, a familiar voice whispered through the breeze.

 

Mommy…

 

My veins iced as a chill nibbled my spine. "What scam are you running?"

 

"Marie needs you."

 

"How in God's name do you know about my daughter?" I grabbed my knife and pressed the sharpened edge to the Gypsy's neck. "Answer me!"

 

"She's trapped in the void, wandering aimlessly between heaven and hell."

 

"Stop! Stop playing with me or I swear to God…"

 

"This is no game. Marie is waiting for you but there is only one man who knows how to find her."

 

My hands trembled. I drew a thin bead of blood from the Gypsy's neck, but she didn't even finch. Her penetrating eyes seemed to shatter my disbelief and I knew without probing any deeper, that this woman had also been bound by a similar misery. I slowly withdrew the knife. "Who is this man?"

 

"Follow the white crow. It will lead you to a manor where all of your questions will be answered. But be careful, for more than your life is in danger." The Gypsy then removed a double barrel shotgun from beneath her stand, and handed it to me. "You'll need this."

 

"I can't afford that gun." I said, fingering the last few caps in my pocket.

 

"You'll have all you need by morning. Return to me then with your payment."

 

"I don't even know your name."

 

"The locals call me, Madam Panada."

 

I slapped what caps I had on the table and thanked the Gypsy for her generous donation of buckshots. Even though night was fast approaching, I decided to bypass the hotel and headed straight into the ghostly marshes beyond.

 

"Caaww! Caaaw!"

 

I spotted the aforementioned bird sitting atop a Ferris Wheel. A flock of black crows circled the solitary albino as though magnetically drawn into orbiting it. When it noticed me, the white crow leaped away from the flock and soared slowly towards a nearby tree. From there, it lead me to a small plot and perched atop one of the crumbling headstones. Lying within the freshly dug grave was an open casket void of remains. But there was something else which caught my eye.

 

"Why would somebody dig up a grave, take the body, but then leave a gold necklace?" When I climbed into the grave, the crow cawed hysterically before flying off. Crouching inside that pit of tainted soil made me feel as though I were already dead. I began to sweat. The walls seemed to close in on me as the sun dipped behind the horizon. I quickly grabbed the necklace and shoved it into my pocket as a shuffling sound emerged from behind one of the tombstones.

 

Mommy.

 

When I turned, a horribly disfigured ghoul lunged towards me screaming bloodcurdling howls of death.

 

"Holy fu.."

 

It clawed for my face but I had just enough time to raise my shotgun in defense. When the ghoul's forearm slammed against my barrel it snapped like a dry tree-branch and fell into the grave, but its open stub spewed puss-blood all over my face, momentarily blinding me. I pushed with all my might and knocked the hissing ghoul against a tombstone before filling its chest with buck-shots.

 

I gagged from the goo sliding down my cheeks, retched, and then wiped off what I could as a second ghoul shuffled towards me. "Where are they coming from?" I cringed, backing up. After blowing the ghoul's head off its shoulders, something grabbed my ankle as I reloaded. "They're coming out of the ground!" I used the butt-stock to bash the ghoul's fingers into pulp, and turned as a third ghoul emerged from its soggy grave. I quickly put a fist-sized hole into its chest before shoving my barrel into the mouth the final ghoul and pulling the trigger.

 

BOOM!

"Caw Caw!"

 

It was that white crow again. I was hesitant to follow it this time but if there was any way of getting Marie back, I had to try. I followed the crow down a fractured road beaten from years of abuse and neglect. It wasn't long before I found the creepy Manor sitting atop a hill.

 

It was a sinister looking place. Old Victorian style windows. Overgrowth. The main walkway was flanked by dead trees that appeared ready to reach out and grab me. I found Voodoo dolls hanging by thin lines along one of the trees. They were small, with bulbous heads and childish, girly smiles. One of them appeared to be moving, so I approached for a closer look.

 

It appeared to be nothing more than a simple child's toy but when I grabbed it, I could feel its heavy body undulating beneath my fingertips. Disgusted by the disturbing feel of the doll, I dropped it and noticed a bit of blood dripping from one of its seams. With my knife in hand, I cautiously flipped it over and noticed rotting meat seeping through a small tear. It was infested with maggots, and the nasty sight turned my stomach inside out.

 

Creek…

 

The manor's door suddenly opened, and I half expected someone to emerge. But the entrance remained empty. Moist, organic air blew outside as though the house was a living, breathing thing. I wasn't sure if I could stop whatever lurked inside with a double barrel shotgun, but there was no turning back. I stepped inside, closed the door, and looked around.

 

Vegetative growth covered the walls like groping fingers. Dust filled the air. The wooden floor creaked with every step. Darkness seemed to radiate from their cracks as though hell lingered in the basement. I stood still for a few minutes, and absorbed the eerie environment as I listened for sounds of danger.

 

But there was nothing.

 

The house was as quiet as death, so I crept on. Bypassing the kitchen, I quickly found a dilapidated foyer filled with bookshelves and a single stairway which reached up toward the high ceiling. A single lamp burned to my right and sitting next to it, was an old man in a wheelchair.

 

"What are you doing in my home?" He asked with a scratchy, southern voice.

 

I lowered my shotgun, but only slightly. "A Gypsy said you could help me find someone." I said, almost childishly.

 

"Did she?" He replied coughing. "Well, couldn't you have wiped your feet before coming in?"

 

It was an absurd request, considering the manor's condition, but at least I didn't feel as threatened by the house anymore. I crossed the foyer, and joined the old man at his table. He wasn't armed, and barely seemed concerned about the shotgun in my lap.

 

"My name is Obadiah Blackhall. Now tell me young lady, who are you looking for?"

 

"My daughter."

 

"Look around you," He said waving his hand. "There aren't any children here. Hasn't been for a long time. I can barely move so how am I supposed help you?"

 

I wasn't sure what to say. Suddenly, the notion of finding my daughter seemed crazy. "I, I don't know. I guess it was insane to think I could get my dead daughter back."

 

Obediah's brows wrinkled as he leaned back in his wheelchair. "So. You're the one I've been waiting for."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

He took a deep breath, and then nodded as if to confirm some hidden secret. "I want you to find Krivbehknih, and bring it back to me."

 

"What's that?"

 

"It's a book that's been in my family for generations. Swamp folk stole it a while back. As you can see, I'm in no condition to go. But you look able enough."

 

"So this…Krivbehknih, can help me get Marie back?"

 

"Do you have something of hers? A personal item of some sort, perhaps."

 

I reached into my inner pocket, and withdrew a small pendant. "There's a lock of Marie's hair inside. Will this work?"

 

"Yes," Said Obadiah as he rubbed the pendant between his thumb and forefinger. "This will do nicely." He pulled himself laboriously up from his rusted wheel chair, and slipped the pendant into this pocket. "I have to make some preparations. If you return before I'm finished, wait here."

 

He marked the swamp folk's location on my Pip-Boy before leaving me alone in the foyer. By the time the old man disappeared into his basement, I'd made my decision. "I'm not waiting for tomorrow to come. Marie needs me now." I gathered my things and pushed open the front door only find a distraught woman standing outside.

 

"Listen to me!" The she said in a panicked voice. "Obadiah isn't a man…he's Satan!"

[Maharg67]

Very good writing.

 

Can I suggest some more description with the voicing such as: 'she turned with a grimace and spat her words out'

 

I am sorry to say that 'fallout' can not crush anything or make ceilings fall in because fallout is radiation, is energy and has no weight to do such damage. It is the blast effect of nuclear explosions and related forces that do damage such as collapsing buildings.

 

I still very much enjoyed your writing. Kudos!

[dezdimona]

loved it,it flows and the suspense is great.

Suggestion: use spell check as there were a few spelling flaws,I'm sure they were just typo's( I have to check my writings as well) but otherwise very good!

[species5478]

Very good writing.

 

Can I suggest some more description with the voicing such as: 'she turned with a grimace and spat her words out'

 

I am sorry to say that 'fallout' can not crush anything or make ceilings fall in because fallout is radiation, is energy and has no weight to do such damage. It is the blast effect of nuclear explosions and related forces that do damage such as collapsing buildings.

 

I still very much enjoyed your writing. Kudos!

 

You're right about the fallout and in fact, I left that little bit there to see if anyone would notice the descriptive disparity...nice eyes! :thumbsup: I love constructive criticism that touches personal concerns that I myself, have when reading my work. I made a simple edit to that part which should atone for the mistake.

 

And for you Dez, I always try to keep an eye on my grammar but in truth, I'm a horrible speller. If it weren't for spell-check, I'd have ten times more errors than the ones you spotted...

Thanks for staying true!

[Herculine]

Dezdimona mystified me with her writing, both narrative and poetic, when I first joined the Forums and she welcomed me.

 

Maharg67 caught me with more of a sneak attack, enrapturing my attention with a magnificent narrative when I least expected it.

 

Lord Tenaim dazzled me with more poetry and a style I admire and envy: the ability to say so much with so few words.

 

And now I find myself here, again ensnared by the creativity of a writer whose talent is blossoming and maturing before my very eyes. Thank you so much for sharing your work with us!