chapter 12: overwhelmed

*pictures not owned by me*

Cormac's p.o.v

The soft hum of the motor revved below him as he drove on dried and broken roads. The sun beaming down upon the once lucious hills, now a barren wasteland the world had become. A red scarf lay strewn around his neck and covered both his mouth and nose so not to breathe in the dust that rose around him. His hair was tied up and away from his face with sunglasses upon his eyes as he drove alone.

This wasn't his first venture outside of the city's limits but no matter how many times he had done this it always had a feeling of dread or unease with it. Though when the sun would begin to set, more dangers would wake from there day of rest and roam upon these lands, looking for there next meal or there next kill. He wouldn't want to be out in the open when that time would arrive.

Soon he arrived at the forest's lining. Turning the bike off he walks towards one of the entrances into the dense and dark place. Many things lived within it that would enjoy having him as their dinner. He wondered if his comrade had survived how he would still be within it. He did not know. He begins walking inward a few hundred feet. As he does it looks like night within and a chill trickles up his spine.

The noises he heard around him were that of an unwelcoming presence; creatures lurked just outside his line of sight. He had gotten further than previously but then he began to hear the low growls of something he could not distinguish. Being reasonable he begins backing away, back the way he came. He was no good if he were dead. The sound of breaking branches could be heard behind him as he hurried to the entrance. He runs out just as something leaps from the darkness and upon the place he stood moments before. He looks at it as it shifts and shakes itself off from the fall then begins to turn around.

Red eyes like flames stared at Cormac from within the shadows. It was that of a large beast, several rows of teeth lined two mouths upon its face. Matted fur with a tar like substance lined the body. It was an unwelcoming sight but interest peaked in cormac. He kneels down as he looks at it before pulling out a journal writing some stuff down about the creature. It looked agitated then it tried stepping out of the forest. It made it about half way before letting out a yelp and sulking back to the darkness.

This gave Cormac a short window to see it a little better, it looked to have markings lining its body like symbols for something, but what? He did not know. He takes down a few more things before returning it to his bag and hopping back on his bike. It was about mid day so he had a few hours to get to where he wanted and hunker down for the night and watch for things prowling around him.

A few hours later...

The sun was beginning to set as he rode into the abandoned town. Once a bustling place now laid lifeless with broken roads where the grass slowly grew between the cracks of the worn cement. Building's left partially standing stood like looming giants on either side of the road. A child's basketball sat still near the sidewalk, and a small shoe resting beside it. Quiet, it was. Only the shell of a former civilization still remained. Clouds hung low in the skies above. He was alone.

He walks to the entrance to a stairwell that would bring him up to a small apartment which once upon a time would've been someone's home. Battered sofas lay tossed on their backs and old carpets had frayed from the elements outside overtime. Broken cabinets sat still in the kitchen. Cormac had reached into one and grabbed out an old can of something to eat as his meal for the night as it was still edible from being preserved.

Standing by the window he pushes the blind out of the way and peaks out at the road below him. A few mutants stalked the streets walking slowly, some crawled some looked halfway to death, they hadn't noticed Cormac but he surely saw them. They were only that of tiers 1 and 2s nothing extreme, he could pick them off as practice with his gun. So with a silencer on the barrel he opens the window. Looking down his scope he gets one in target range and shoots. A smirk glides across his face.

"Got ya you son of a bitch."

He says before shooting a few more. It helped calm him down from the previous day in which things had set him off. Shortly he had stopped and sat down on the floor below the window. He brings his arm up and brings up one of his contacts. He had a few that still roamed on the outside that could help him out in sticky situations.

As he calls a gruff voice come from the other end

"Oi Cormac, boy is that you, my it's been a while."

A smirk rests on his face as he shakes his head

"Yea I know, I don't call much" he says to the man on the other end

"I have a favour to ask of you"

The other end was quiet for a moment

"What d'ya need my boy, you can't count on the crew to get it together."

Cormac nods.

"I know I can. I need you guys to gather some supplies, weapons, protection and stuff together. I feel something big is on the horizon and im going to need the help."

The man on the other end runs a hand through there beard and nods,

"Aight, ask and you shall receive. It will be ready in two weeks,"

Cormac runs a hand through his hair,

"Thanks it's much appreciated"

He goes to end the call but the man speaks again.

"Wait, Cormac, don't go getting yourselves killed, you're no good if you're gone. We need you alive, but more importantly you needn't lose yourself to this, keep that spark alive in you just like that spark we'd seen many a year ago when you were that of a youngin. Over and out soldier."

It was the last thing the man spoke before hanging up, nothing more was said at the time. Cormac sat, the words playing over in his head. He roughs his hair up before resting his arms on his knees, hanging his head to where he saw only the floor below him.