HOOD: A Post Apocalyptic Novel (American Rebirth Series Book 1) Read Free Page B
Author: Evan Pickering
Ads: Link
like that, douche! Tell me what happened!”
“Yes, you moron. They hooked up on and off all through senior year. It was a huge dramatic pain in the ass. Not exactly a limited-time-offer.”
Whiskey shook his head, wearing a slight grin. “That's some funny shit. How come you never told that one?”
“I guess I normally don't think about high school much. But I just remembered it.” Hood leaned back, the fire so warm it felt like it was burning his face. Maybe it was partly the liquor.
“High school huh. I bet you were one of those swoopy-haired kids who listened to that weepy ass music all the time,” Lucky said, staring down Hood for his reaction. Hood didn't dignify it with a response, giving Lucky the finger.
“Who the fuck's Mrs. Doubtfire?” Billy said, blinking slowly.
Whiskey snorted, rubbing his forehead. “Goddamned kids.”
The fire had died down suddenly. The glowing red chunks of wood lay broken atop each other, glowing suddenly brighter as a gust of wind blew smoke and ash towards Hood. The leaves on the trees swished softly. Lucky tossed the cigarette butt into the fire. Billy was swaying in his seat.
“Should I get more logs?” Lucky asked no one in particular.
“No. We're going to pack up and head home. The Sheriff will know we're here for sure when his men don't come back. He'll tell the Kaiser by tomorrow or the day after. I want to be gone by then. They're not too happy with us raiding that stockpile, so we should take the supplies back to town and lay low,” Whiskey said. A look of exhaustion hung in his eyes as he stared at the embers.
Hood was sure he knew what he was thinking: That sooner or later they were going to piss off the Kaiser enough that he wouldn’t be able to ignore them anymore. But they had little choice. Hood knew just as well as Whiskey how much the town needed food, water, gasoline, and every little thing in between. They had a long way to go before they could learn to farm enough food to support themselves, let alone find a way to sustain every other need.
“Well, shit. You ain't gotta tell me twice. I'm sick'a this busted-ass cabin,” Billy slurred, standing up and moving towards the house in one motion. His foot caught in the legs of the folding chair and he slumped into the grass with supreme drunken inelegance. The airborne bottle of vodka thunked into the grass in front of him. Lucky exploded off his seat, howling in laughter, berating Billy loudly between breaths.
“Damn dude, you all right?” Hood said, trying to suppress his own snickering.
“Changed m' mind, I'm jus' gonna lay here awhile,” Billy said, the side of his face pressed against the grassy earth.
Hood looked over at Whiskey, grinning. Whiskey shook his head in annoyance, but couldn't suppress a smirk. He stood up, hands pushing himself up from his knees.
“Well Lucky, that leaves you to get the trucks out of the hiding spot. Come on, we got to get movin'.” Whiskey stretched his right arm behind his head.
Lucky complained loudly about Billy's drunken stupor as he stomped off down the hill. Whiskey made the rounds and gathered the crew from out on watch. Everyone started packing up the supplies and loading them into the trucks Lucky parked by the cabin.
All Hood could think about was the dead man and the kids he wouldn't be able to look after. He hadn't had many choices. Very few people did anymore.
Hood believed completely that Ian and his parents were still alive; what would they do to protect each other if they lived under the Kaiser's rule?
Morning light had broken through the trees and onto the dirt road by the time Hood and Whiskey headed off with a truck laden with supplies. It shed clarity on an unpleasant thought.
One day when I look down the sights it might not be a stranger I see walking through the woods, gun in hand.
Chapter 2 – One Man Gone
Hood slammed the door of the truck. The bright sun blared down
“Yes, you moron. They hooked up on and off all through senior year. It was a huge dramatic pain in the ass. Not exactly a limited-time-offer.”
Whiskey shook his head, wearing a slight grin. “That's some funny shit. How come you never told that one?”
“I guess I normally don't think about high school much. But I just remembered it.” Hood leaned back, the fire so warm it felt like it was burning his face. Maybe it was partly the liquor.
“High school huh. I bet you were one of those swoopy-haired kids who listened to that weepy ass music all the time,” Lucky said, staring down Hood for his reaction. Hood didn't dignify it with a response, giving Lucky the finger.
“Who the fuck's Mrs. Doubtfire?” Billy said, blinking slowly.
Whiskey snorted, rubbing his forehead. “Goddamned kids.”
The fire had died down suddenly. The glowing red chunks of wood lay broken atop each other, glowing suddenly brighter as a gust of wind blew smoke and ash towards Hood. The leaves on the trees swished softly. Lucky tossed the cigarette butt into the fire. Billy was swaying in his seat.
“Should I get more logs?” Lucky asked no one in particular.
“No. We're going to pack up and head home. The Sheriff will know we're here for sure when his men don't come back. He'll tell the Kaiser by tomorrow or the day after. I want to be gone by then. They're not too happy with us raiding that stockpile, so we should take the supplies back to town and lay low,” Whiskey said. A look of exhaustion hung in his eyes as he stared at the embers.
Hood was sure he knew what he was thinking: That sooner or later they were going to piss off the Kaiser enough that he wouldn’t be able to ignore them anymore. But they had little choice. Hood knew just as well as Whiskey how much the town needed food, water, gasoline, and every little thing in between. They had a long way to go before they could learn to farm enough food to support themselves, let alone find a way to sustain every other need.
“Well, shit. You ain't gotta tell me twice. I'm sick'a this busted-ass cabin,” Billy slurred, standing up and moving towards the house in one motion. His foot caught in the legs of the folding chair and he slumped into the grass with supreme drunken inelegance. The airborne bottle of vodka thunked into the grass in front of him. Lucky exploded off his seat, howling in laughter, berating Billy loudly between breaths.
“Damn dude, you all right?” Hood said, trying to suppress his own snickering.
“Changed m' mind, I'm jus' gonna lay here awhile,” Billy said, the side of his face pressed against the grassy earth.
Hood looked over at Whiskey, grinning. Whiskey shook his head in annoyance, but couldn't suppress a smirk. He stood up, hands pushing himself up from his knees.
“Well Lucky, that leaves you to get the trucks out of the hiding spot. Come on, we got to get movin'.” Whiskey stretched his right arm behind his head.
Lucky complained loudly about Billy's drunken stupor as he stomped off down the hill. Whiskey made the rounds and gathered the crew from out on watch. Everyone started packing up the supplies and loading them into the trucks Lucky parked by the cabin.
All Hood could think about was the dead man and the kids he wouldn't be able to look after. He hadn't had many choices. Very few people did anymore.
Hood believed completely that Ian and his parents were still alive; what would they do to protect each other if they lived under the Kaiser's rule?
Morning light had broken through the trees and onto the dirt road by the time Hood and Whiskey headed off with a truck laden with supplies. It shed clarity on an unpleasant thought.
One day when I look down the sights it might not be a stranger I see walking through the woods, gun in hand.
Chapter 2 – One Man Gone
Hood slammed the door of the truck. The bright sun blared down
Similar Books
The Birds of the Air
Alice Thomas Ellis
The Rebels' Assault
David Grimstone
The Golden Fleece
Brian Stableford
Jace
T.A. Grey
Mating Rights
Jaide Fox
The New Champion
Jody Feldman
Pretty Is
Maggie Mitchell