The sounds of dripping water echoed in the dark corridor of an abandoned hospital. Dirt, dust, and rubbish accumulated along the walls, giving an eery feeling to the already lonely building. Chase walked confidently through the dismal scene. These kinds of places are what he lived for now. He used to think, in the beginning, that the echoes of the wastes were the worst part of scavenging, besides the thrall. The echoes felt familiar now, like he was home, and that he thought, was quite a sad sentiment. Chase’s light leather boots made no noise on the scarred tiled floor of the abandoned hospital, his dark cloak hung like a wisp of shadow down his slim frame. A large sack was secured on his back, and two sword pommels could be seen behind each shoulder. The wastes were a dangerous place, in more ways than one. Coming prepared only offered you a chance to survive. 

Making sure his steps remained silent, Chase traversed the building for signs of the thrall. The cuts and marks on the walls and floor were his first indication that the thrall once existed here, but scars appeared old and weathered. Dust and debris coated the hollow marks still, it was best to be on guard. Chase crept his way through each of the many rooms filling his sack with anything that might be useful. Medicine, bandages, even the electrical components he could rip out of some of the machines were important. 

Chase was a scavenger, the only scavenger of his village. His job was to venture out of the high walls that protected the settlement and scour the wastes for things that the village couldn’t produce themselves. At first, Chase hated his job, the fear and the loneliness that accompanied him almost drove him insane. Chase knew he could quit, his older brother the leader of the village would support him. But he also knew that what he did was important, the things that he brings back changed the lives of the villagers for the better; and even though he’s never received any kind of thanks, let alone payment, he felt that he had to do it. Besides, Chase was a good scavenger, and this fact was not bragging. Anyone who went out into the waste with arrogance wouldn’t last the day. No, Chase was a good scavenger, he knew it because he had survived longer than any other scavenger he’s known or heard of. 

Sighing and trying not to think about the past, Chase bent over a worn respirator trying to salvage any useful components. Reaching to a pouch on his waist Chase pulled out his tools. His hands worked deftly, rendering the machine down to base components in a couple minutes. His breathing the only sound he could discern, other than the occasional ping of a screw hitting the floor. Collecting what he could out of the mess of wires and spent parts, his pack was bulging now, and his steps slightly heavier than they’re usually silent gait.

The slight scuffing of his boots echoed through the empty halls, barely notable above the ringing silence. Chase came to an abrupt stop, his muscles taut and still as he held his breath. A familiar feeling was creeping up in the back of his mind. Chase could feel his heart start to speed up and the adrenaline slowing the world around him. Chase lifted his daze, his hands going to the swords on his back. They were simply crafted, single-edged blades that tapered to a point. Chase had made them himself out of some materials that took a very long time to collect. The swords were one piece of slightly curved metal, two fingers wide. The sharp blade dulled around a foot from the end and was wrapped with a white mantle that trailed off the hilts. The blades themselves were of a dark metal that shone in the low light. The twin swords made no noise as they were drawn from their sheaths.

Shouldering off his pack to the ground, Chase crouched in a low stance, one blade out horizontally in the front of him the other pointed towards the end of the hall where Chase focused intently. When it came, it came silently. Such was the music of the wastes. It slinked from around the corner at the far end of the hall. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, it crawled on hands and feet. An extra set of arms jutted out from its torso and all the limbs ended in wicked looking claws. Its head was a bulbous, faceless mass. No eyes, mouth, nose, or any form of discernible features marked it. Though chase new the trick, it really wasn’t a head at all, just a giant maw that split open to devour its prey. The thrall scout came fully into view. Bobby its mouth up and down like it was sniffing at something. Chase knew the thrall already knew of his presence, the act was to instill terror. He wasn’t sure of the purpose he just knew that the thrall liked to torment their prey if at all possible. Chase didn’t give it time to realize its mistake. He wasn’t prey at all, Chase was the one who preyed on the monsters.

He kicked off the ground with inhuman speed and grace. Rocketing down the corridor, the thrall didn’t expect his advance nor the speed of his approach, and that was all the advantage Chase needed, that and his swords. The thrall reared up onto its back legs, its head opening to reveal large fangs dripping with a neurotoxin that induced intense pain. It leapt at Chase, screeching. Chase crouched even lower coming to his knees. The thrall sailed overhead, reacting quickly Chase thrust one sword up while he jumped from his position. The sword pieced through the giant maul that was the thrall’s mouth and pinned it to the ceiling. Chase stepped back and readied his other sword. The thrall writhed in the air, its limbs failing about still trying to finish the kill. Black blood seeped from the bulbous mouth pinned to the ceiling and ran down its body in thick rivulets, like black mercury.

Satisfied it wasn’t going to wiggle free, Chase went back to where he dropped his pack against the wall. Pulling out a large glass jar, he placed it under the thrall and proceeded to wait. One couldn’t really kill a thrall without destroying its core at its center. The monster’s regenerated to fast to kill any other way, even bleeding this thrall out as Chase was doing wouldn’t kill it, just sent it into a coma-like state. And the only reason he could bleed out a thrall was because the wound his sword was inserted into wouldn’t regenerate. After a while, the thrall hung motionless in the dim hallway. Chase retrieved the jar and yanked the sword free from the ceiling. With the sword gone, the wound on the thrall closed within seconds and it started to stir. Thrusting the sword into the thralls center, Chase swiped upwards until he felt a something break. The thrall went limp once more and slowly turned to dust, from the inside out. Chase sheathed his sword next to its partner and shouldered his pack.

Stepping out of the structure, Chase slipped across the overgrown street, trying not to disturb any of the vegetation and leave any sign of his passage. The trek out of the city would last until after nightfall not that it mattered much to Chase. The Sun was dipping below the horizon and the air was starting to cool as Chase walked in the shadows of the tall ancient city. Massive monoliths of glass and steel were draped with vines and flowers. The roads were cracked and broken, grass and tree roots pushing up through the hardened asphalt.

The first few hours on the job he remembered wondering how everything had gone so wrong, how had his people built such wondrous things and be reduced to a scattered dying race. Then he had encountered the thrall. The faceless creatures of death that now stalked the remains of human society. Chase didn’t know how it happened exactly, in all the books and journals he’d read, little mention of the thrall every came up. It was like they just appeared one day and that was it for humanity. What he knew he found by chance. Those who survived called it the Great Collapse, he had read about it in a scientific journal he pulled out of a hard-drive in a building called Horizon Technologies. Chase couldn’t understand a lot of what was written in the journal. He was the smartest person he knew, with all the books and documents he collected, but this was way beyond him. It described an experiment to phase an object out of our reality into another.

The project had huge global exposure and everyone either had high hopes for the experiment or was shouting their discontent. The aim of the project was to circumvent space by sending something into another dimension and calling it back somewhere else in our dimension. Instant teleportation would revolutionize the world. What they didn’t expect is that this technology would do so much more.

After reading the document, Chase visited the site of the event. The ruins of the machine looked like that of a huge set of broken rings that twisted and wrapped around one another. The space itself felt strange and warped, like reality itself was scarred. The Great Collapse was theorized to merge their dimension with the next closest dimension. The two collapsed in on each other for a brief moment. In that brief moment when the fabric that separated the two worlds was torn did the monsters rush our would. The creatures now known as the thrall ambushed the earth and left it in ruins. Once the rift closed and no more creatures came through did the numbers of the thrall decline due to starvation. But the rift didn’t just bring the thrall over. When it opened something changed in humanity. It didn’t happen immediately, nor universally, but a select few of individuals changed generations after the Great Collapse. 

Twilight was Chase’s favorite time of day. The sky held a soft glow, and the world lay in shadow. It was like the world was holding its breath waiting for the transition from day to night. Chase had left the tall bindings far behind and was jogging down a highway leading out of town. A growing dread was filling his stomach, and sweat began to grow on his palms. He knew that with today’s haul his truck would be filled and he would have to return. Out here in the dangerous wastes Chase felt at home, not safe per se just familiar. It was venturing back to the village that he felt like he was going into hostile territory. He questioned when things had changed. It hadn’t always been like this.

His truck was parked in a glade overgrown with dense foliage. Having painted the vehicle a myriad of greens and blacks, it was mostly invisible to a casual observer. Approaching the truck Chase inspected the shell covering the bed. He had been gathering in this city for a couple of months now, and everything he had collected was locked in the shell. Thankfully nobody had found his stash, so he threw on his recent haul and bedded down for the night under the truck. 

Dust picked up and left a cloud in Chase’s wake as he tore south. Morning was a little ways off but Chase decided to visit the nearby settlement of Noria in hopes of trade. Chase found, unlike his own settlement that Scavengers were welcomed pretty much anywhere to trade. People were always willing to see what kind of treasures he and people like him brought from the old world. Though Noria was a little different. In the wake of the destruction of society, social rules kind of went out the window. Women were especially prayed upon at the outset of the new world and some of them took it into their own hands to create a safe haven for themselves and others. Noria was a settlement completely composed of women and they didn’t allow any men to even get close on threat of death. Except of course for scavengers, but even then if one of the visiting scavengers started to misbehave as it were, death or banishment followed quickly. 

The sun was a hands width over the horizon when Chase approached the high walls of Noria. The walls had more bullet holes than claw marks, noting that raiders were the more potent problem, out here in the wilderness. Chase could understand the reasoning, human trafficking and slavery was now a much more prominent threat in the new world, and here sat a treasure trove of goods just waiting to be cracked open. Thinking that way only reinforced his dislike for the human species, even though he called himself human. The human race is on the brink of collapse and all we do is fight, kill, and enslave one another, it’s disgusting. 

Pulling in front of the gate Chase waited, both hands on the steering wheel. A door opened adjacent to the gate and a couple of armored figures walked out, guns trained on his truck. One of the figures approached and pulled down the mask covering their face.

“Chase is that you?”

“Hi Leisa, still on guard duty ah?”

Leisa practical squealed as she tore off her visor and other assorted combat gear covering her face. Unclipping her rifle and laying it against the truck she leaned down to rest her arms on the open window.

“My God, it’s been ages since you last were here. It's good to see you.”

Leisa began to chat away about anything and everything. It felt good to be welcomed for a change and Chase couldn’t stop smiling at the woman. She was older perhaps approaching thirty. Had dirty blond hair tucked back in her helmet and her face always head a mischievous expression. A guard shouted from her position in the firing line.

“Oi, Leisa what’s the hold up!?”  

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“It’s Chase!” Leisa said liked it explained everything. Which apparently it did because the group let out “ah’s” and noises of affirmation like it made perfect sense. 

The gate opened shortly after and Leisa hopped in the passenger seat to continue her conversation. Parking the truck along the inside of the high wall adjacent to a tall platform, Chase and Leisa climbed out. Rushing around the hood of the truck Leisa embraced Chase with much more familiarity than Chase felt comfortable. Seeing as he didn’t normally receive any kind of acts of affection the women’s actions made Chase uncomfortable.

“Oooo, you’ve gotten so big Chase, I remember when I used to swing you around in my arms when you first came to us.”

Chase shivered as he recalled that particular memory. The women liked to give bear hugs and being crushed against body armor and swung about was not a pleasant experience. Pulling away slightly trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Do you know where Raine is? I need to check in.”

“Booo Chase it’s all work with you. You know you don’t need to check in. It’s not like your just any Scavenger.”

“Leave the poor boy alone Leisa, you’re smothering him.”

“Tch, speak of the devil.”

Chase stood to watch Raine approach. She was a tall woman, almost as tall as he was and carried a soft expression. She had long brown hair that curled up at the tips and a powerful gait. It took awhile to get used to her motherly compassion mixed with her commanding demeanor. She was the Mayor of Noria and had helped Chase out when he was just beginning to Scavenge and trade. 

Reaching forward and clasping hands “It’s good to see you Chase, are you well?”

“As well as I can be, I suppose.”

She gave a sad look “how long will you be staying with us?”

“Just until tomorrow morning, I have to head back soon, but I thought I’d come to see you first.”

Giving a small smile. “I glad you did.”

The rest of the day was spent with the ladies picking over his stock and picking out things that wanted or needed and haggling over the cost. Small groups and villagers cycled past the platform all day trying to get a look and the goods and the young man selling them. The afternoon came and went and Chase found himself in the guard hall near the gate entrance, sharing a meal with Leisa and a couple of other guards. The hall used to be a small warehouse with high windows and concrete floors. Now Long tables divided the space down the middle. Beds covered one side of the hall and the armory the other. Leisa was across from him, shoving the hearty stew they were having down her throat while still managing to tell him about her new boyfriend a settlement over. Suddenly Raine and a young woman approached the group. Raine sat down next to him and the young woman next to Leisa. Leisa had stopped her bragging to look up at the two wondering to their purpose. Chase was the same. The young woman was maybe Chase’s age if not a little younger, which was surprising. She had hair so light it looked white in the dim room. Her eyes glowed a startling orange color like dancing flames. He couldn’t call her build athletic because her curves but all her muscles were well defined. Her impressive bust was covered in body amour like the rest of the table and her hips could be seen even in the baggy cargo pants she wore. She was stunning, but Chase had experienced too many life and death scenarios in his life to be distracted by a pretty face.

“Chase I have a proposition for you.” Raine said, resting her chin on her hand looking over at Chase. Inclining his head a little, Raine continued.

“Do you know our Scavenger? Are you two aquatinted? Her name is Anna. She’s about my height with short black hair and a kind of severe face. Also has very little in terms of breasts.”

Chase blushed a little to Leisa’s chuckle but shook his head.

“No I don’t think we ever met in person, but I do remember seeing someone of that description.” 

Feeding a little of his ability up to his mind, Chase tried to recall where he had seen her before. 

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“I do remember seeing her, she’s not hurt is she.” Chase said like he already knew the answer.

“No, she’s been gone for a little over a month which is almost twice as long as usual. I take it she’s dead?”

“I’m afraid so.” 

Closing her eyes and wiping a stay tear, Raine paused in her inquiry. Scavenger deaths were not uncommon, really Chase’s record of six years on the job was extraordinary.

Taking a breath she composed herself. 

“That is where my proposition comes in.”

Gesturing to the young women across the table “Would you be willing to give some advice to Mia here.”

Chase was taken aback. This was a massive breach of an unwritten rule. Scavengers may be welcome in most settlements and, as far as he knew, given lots of welcome and favors. Scavengers were mostly made of the new types, the people with abilities so really being a Scavenger put you in an exclusive club. But outside the settlements, it was every man or women for himself. Scavengers have been known to fight each other for loot and territory, asking a Scavenger from another settlement to spill their secrets to a potential competitor was shameless. Still, Noria had done a lot for him. Really he had a great impression of the place and they treated him like family here even though he couldn’t stay.

“Alright.”

Leisa’s mouth hung agape and Raine looked visibly stunned. Mia though made a little noise of surprise which he thought was cute but would get her killed in the wastes.

“I haven’t even told you what you get in exchange.”

“That’s fine, you guys are always fair to me, more than fair really. I can’t visit often but coming here is always a pleasure. My own settlement treats me like some dog so you, Leisa and the others are kind of my only friends.” Chase said with a sad laugh.

Leisa was bawling into her stew bowl and Mia looked at a loss for words. Raine ran her hand through his hair, pulling his face up to look at her and gave a warm smile.

“You just went and proved me right once again.” Taking his hand she place a key on his palm and wrapped his fingers around it.

“I want you to know you are always welcome here, whenever you can get away. I might not be able to offer you residence but this is the next best thing.”

Chase stared at the key, feeling the weight of trust they put in him. Giving him a key was risking the security of the whole village.

“Thank you Raine I, I don’t know what to say.”

“Just visit more often and we’ll be even.”

“Alright”

Putting the key in his pocket, he turned to Mia. His soft smile and gentle countenance well away, only a hard and cold stare remained. Mia sat up straighter and eyes darting around the room refusing to settle on him.

“Mia.”

“Y-yes?!”

“From this moment forth consider us allies.”

“Allies? w-what does that mean?”

Resting an arm on the table “It means if you see me out in the wastes know that you can trust me. Territory or loot doesn’t really mean anything to me so just know I won’t attack you.”

“Attack me?”

Chase looked to Raine a raised an eyebrow.

“She’s really green” Raine said with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Heaving a sign Chase began. “Lesson one, outside of the Settlements Scavengers are your opponents, you will be competing with them for the resources you bring back to your village. Some scavenger will try and take what you have or your territory. Some will try and take you, yourself, and sell you off at a high price.”

Mia looked pale, but steeled her expression. Maybe there was some iron in her after all.

“Lesson two stealth is your best friend, never leave a trace of your passing nor a trail. Stay away from downtown areas until your are more comfortable with stealth, other Scavengers, raiders, and the thrall.”  

Mia nodded her head listening intently. Keenly aware of the value of his words. Both Raine and Leisa were also listening closely, and for some strange reason, the hall had gone quiet.

“Would you be willing to share your ability with me?”

Looking apprehensive “Well…”

“Tell him Mia, he needs to know.” Raine ordered.

Nodding her understanding she held up her hand and crimson flames burst in life, licking up her arm.

“Pyrokinesis, I can produce flames and my flames don’t hurt me.”

Chase was fascinated by the flames on her arm and might have stared too long. Looking a little shy she tucked away both hands under the table. She was a rare type, having an external ability was uncommon among the new types.

“Fascinating, anyway, when facing thrall go for the head and joints. With your flames it might be a little easier if you were to heat up their bodies to slow their movements then go in with a blade to the joints to get at their heart.”

Pointing to his sternum

“To properly kill a thrall only destroying the organ at their center will do it. The tricky part is that their hide and bones are tough, and can’t be cut using normal means. The tissues around their joints is softer so use that. That method should work for scouts and soldiers, but if you come across an officer run. Don’t even try, officers and above are almost impossible to kill and your ability is not compatible with that enemy. Your skills will be more effect against raiders and the like so sticking to the outlying areas might be good for you.”

The rest of the hall was beginning to crowd around the group, information of the wastes and its dangers was valuable and hearing it from a someone who has survived six years alone was priceless. Chase talked for hours, drilling his hard-earned experience into the girl.

“Chase, uh, can I ask a question?” Mia said a little unsure.

Chase motioned for her to continue.

“Have you ever killed another Scavenger?”

There was a couple of gasps and murmurs to that. Chase closed his eyes and nodded solemnly.

“I’ve killed three Scavengers in my time in the wastes.”

Mia couldn’t help but let out a little noise.

“The first two tried to kill me for my truck and ambushed me en-route. They were both rather skilled with their abilities, but not really compatible to fight thrall like you. So they resorted to theft.”

Chase shrugged, giving no further explanation. Mia leaned forward a bit and asked.

“And the third?”

Chase looked around the hall and finally met Raine’s eyes.

“The third was Anna.” 

The room was still for a moment then the sound of weapons being loading and locked filled the room. Chases eyes never left Raine, she stared back with wide eyes and tears.

“Why” she said, her voice small almost a whisper.

“It was about a month ago, I was on the twelfth floor of an office building scouting my next target when I saw a group of soldier thrall march across an intersection. I bring my long range rifle on scouting runs and took a look at the procession. Thralls are cruel creatures and seem to thrive on misery and negative human emotion. Ultimately they will eat you alive, but not before they toy with you if they have the opportunity. Anna was being dragged behind them. I didn’t know who she was at the time. She was semiconscious and making futile attempts to resist. I put a bullet in her head at a thousand meters to save her from a crueler fate.”

Weapons dropped and a heavy atmosphere hung about the room. Raine seemed to understand and said and gave a silent thank you. Mia exploded out of her seat and slammed her hand on the table.

“You just killed her! Just like that! Why didn't you save her?!”

The fury in her eyes evoked no emotion in Chase. He’s been through this before and he’ll go through it again. Hands banging on the table, and spittle flying from her lips she shouted at Chase.

“You could have just followed them couldn’t you, and saved her then, why did you have to shoot her!?” 

Chase waited for her to calm down a little then calmly stood.

“I was more than half a mile away and up high in a precarious building. I would have taken me at least ten minutes before I could get to her location. The thrall move quickly and burrow out large subterranean tunnels as nests. Tracking her would have taken me at least the rest of the day. The thrall might have known of my presence by then and eaten her before I could get to her. Even if I could get there undetected, I would have to kill a dozen soldier thrall fast enough before they got the idea to eat her to heal. Even then by the time I got to her, she wouldn’t be the same.”

“Still…still…”

Mia was having a hard time controlling her emotions. It seems her and Anna were closer than he knew. They didn’t look similar, but he guessed, being new types they probably spent a lot of time together. Chase pulled off his cloak and unbuckled his swords. Then in one smooth motion, shed is dark shirt. Silver scars covered the majority of his torso and arms, they continue down below the belt of his pants.

The hall had gone still, and Raine had her hands to her mouth. Leisa looked shocked and Mia couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over his scarred form. 

Replacing the shirt “She wouldn’t have been the same, I know... I’ve been taken by them once before and survived. I’m the only one I've heard of to escape out of the tunnels. And the only reason I did was because of my abilities. Anna did not have that advantage.”

Mia sat down silently, head bowed.

“I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean…”

“It’s ok, I understand better than most. I’m just sad it had to come to showing my scars. I know they’re pretty revolting”

Mia looked up, “No-o, Chase that’s not…” she stammered 

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m used to it. But I expect the same Mia.”

Mia turned her head in confusion, then quickly covered her chest with her face reddening.

“No, what I mean is, if you seem me being dragged away by thrall then I expect you to kill me.” Though he doubted she even could. 

Nodding slightly, “Ok, b-but if you see me can you try to save me first?”

Chase couldn’t help it and laughed. The way she said it, she sounded so young, so untried.

With a cheeky grin “It’s a deal, for you I’ll try my best; alright?”

Face red and hair pulled in front of her eyes she nodded. 

The rest of the night was uneventful and the next morning Chase bid farewell to Raine and Leisa. 

“Be careful out there Chase, we would hate to lose you” Raine said surprising him with a warm hug. Leisa couldn’t resist and came in from behind to squeeze Chase in between the two women. Not accustomed to any form of affection, Chase’s whole body tensed. 

Raine chuckled as she pulled back. “You should visit again soon, maybe after a while you’ll loosen up a bit.”

Chase scratched his head with a small laugh. “Thanks for seeing me off, ladies. It feels… good, almost nostalgic.”

Looking around he didn’t see Mia anywhere, but that was fine. He loaded up his truck and leaned out the window as parted.

“Tell Mia I said goodbye, maybe I’ll see her out there.”

A rather strange smile appeared on the two women. “Oh, we’ll let her know. I’m sure she wished she could be here.” Both women were chuckling as Chase drove off.

 The visit to Noria had bolstered his spirits, still returning home filled him with a sense dread that he just couldn’t shake.