POV Cassius Hill

Frost crunched under my feet as I walked a winding path through the ruins. A hopeless path, I thought to myself. I double checked my handgun to make sure it was secure in its holster.

I ducked under the skeleton of a robot, a skeleton left from a forgone era.

In the distance I heard a crash. It's just an icicle falling down… I hope. I sped up slightly as to avoid whatever made that sound if it was not natural. A scream emanated from the same direction as the crash. That's definitely not natural. I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction until I vaulted a waist high wall and went prone. Across the room I was in there was a pile of bones that looked to have valuables in them.

I crawled over and pried a handgun and some magazines out of the frozen yuck. I tried to pull the slide back but it was jammed. I slipped the items into a small bag then slipped it into my backpack. Searching through the remains resulted in me finding nothing else of value other than a few gold teeth I pulled out of the skull. 

I pulled myself into a room that was not exposed to the outside and closed the door. Then I stood up and turned on my flashlight, there was nothing of real threat in the room, although there was a makeshift bench I gratefully sat down on.

I pulled the new handgun, along with a lighter, a metal bowl, and some plastic out of the pack. I took a closer look at the handgun and saw that the only part that was plastic was the grip. I removed that with a screwdriver, I also finagled the magazine out as to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

I put the plastic in the bowl and lit it. Then I heated the handgun to melt the gore so I could remove the slide and clean it. About ten minutes later I was done cleaning my new acquisition and I covered the bowl to snuff out the flames.

I drank some water and put everything into my pack. Then I left the building  sticking to the side alleys.

I couldn’t help but feel I was being watched as I made my way through the decrepit buildings.

I really need to get out of this city. I came up to a six lane road that I could not avoid. I looked both ways and decided it was better to cross now and risk stumbling in the dark than to wait for a day that was not much brighter.

Halfway though the road I hid under a car and surveyed the environment. In the distance I saw a large shadow crossing the street. Then I heard an almost inaudible clacking from the direction I came from. I turned my head to see a shadow in the alley I was just in.

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Ohhhhhhh shiiiiiit… its head turned in my direction and locked in on me. I pulled out my handgun, crawled out and backed up wanting to get across the street but not wanting to turn away from one of them. It clacked a few steps forward. I lost all resolve, turned around and sprinted away.

I dodged into an alley. I thought I had escaped until it smashed through a wall in front of me. I barely avoided one of its claws as I ran into an open doorway. It followed me into the hallway, although thankfully it was slowed down by being too large and having to smash its way through.

By the time I lost it I was utterly exhausted and was on the verge of collapsing. I made my way into an inclosed room. After making sure nothing was in there I curled up on the ground and drifted into sleep. 

                                                                  …

My eyes slowly drifted open… headache. I got up with a start when my sleep-addled brain remembered what happened last night. Just then the stench of rotting flesh assaulted my senses… what the? With rotting flesh comes heat and a possibility of useful equipment. 

I followed my nose until the stench was unbearable, then I slipped a gas mask on to reduce it a bit, although at that point there was only one place where it could be coming from. I nudged open the door and a claw reached for me.

I pulled out my gun and emptied the magazine into its owner, the monstrosity lunged after me and got caught on the door just long enough for me to reload and empty a mag into its head. It flailed around blind as I ran away to live and fight another day.

I exited the building and ran down the alley to get away from the building, they would be attracted to the noise like flies to meat.I found shelter in a building a few blocks away. I covered myself in a tarp and hid behind a few shelves in the corner. Probably about two days until it is safe to leave.

I just sat there and listened to the clicking of them passing by. I heard the loud booms of an auto cannon firing and the thunder of a collapsing building. I wonder why they fight like that, its almost as if they have several factions. 

                                                                     …

I checked my watch, it had a low battery sign taking up about half of it, and the other half had actually useful information like the date and time. It read five seven seventy-two. I think I was chased on five four seventy two… right? I struggled trying to remember whether it was the fourth or fifth, I settled on fifth when I heard a crash a few blocks away.

I waited for a bit and when no sound was forthcoming I stood up and packed the stuff I had taken out of the backpack back. I walked and saw the source of the crash, a wall had collapsed.

I had just breathed a sigh of relief when something touched the small of my back. I gulped and slowly turned my head. Its robotic eye dilated and constricted. I made a move away but it just hooked my parka.

I just stayed there trying to think of why it didn’t just kill me when it sliced my cheek. I felt the warm wetness flow down my neck. After a bit I just closed my eyes and waited for the end to come.

After a bit it picked me up and spun me to face it. I slowly forced my eyes open, even I had to admit it had a ruthless beauty. Its long clawlike legs, up to its heavily armored core. All finished off with two manipulator claws and an autocannon… one just had to ignore the frozen blood covering it from the victims it had consumed for fuel. 

Silence dominated for what seemed like an eternity. Its eye searching me, me staring at it wondering what it was going to do. Then the sudden sensation of acceleration, pain, and darkness.