Free 15 Years Later: Wasteland by Nick S. Thomas

for them before she followed.
    "Thank you again, and God bless you."
    They were left to finish their meals, and it didn't take them long. Hours passed as they just paced back and forth to pass the time. They didn't want to venture any further into town, as they could both see the potential for causing trouble. After a few hours, Zed walked up onto the wall to look out. Red came up to them. He sighed as he stopped and leaned against the wall next to him.
    "When I said you are out in the morning, I really meant it. As soon as the sun is up."
    "I know," he replied calmly.
    "Can't have strangers raising trouble around here. We can't afford it. Not after all we have been through."
    From his face and tone it had been rough.
    "How long have you been here?"
    Red looked surprised by the comment and a little suspicious.
    "What do you want from me?" he asked.
    "Just a little understanding of this world."
    Red laughed.
    "We are trying to survive and get by the best way we can, what else is there to understand?"
    Zed shrugged.
    "I don't understand you, and I don't like that. Who are you really?"
    Zed thought about how best to respond.
    Why not try the truth?
    "Honestly, I don't know."
    "You don't know?" he said with a smirk, "What kind of bullshit answer is that?"
    "Really, I woke up on a rock outcrop a few days back, no idea how I got there or who I am. I was attacked by those assholes from Jaytown, and I have been trying to figure all this out ever since."
    Red began to laugh.
    "You're not serious? You aren't gonna try and sell me that crap, are you? Really?"
    Zed didn’t answer him.
    Well, I suppose it was worth a try.
    "So, you don't know who or what you are? I don't believe you, and that worries me even more. I could understand why you might be here, and why you might be chased for all sorts of reasons, but you ain't given me one good answer yet."
    Zed pulled out his photos.
    "This is the reason. I told you before. I don't know exactly who they are because I don't remember."
    He took a closer look at the photos but still looked suspicious.
    "How do I know you aren't just out to kill them?"
    "Kill them?" he asked in amazement.
    Red could see and hear some sincerity and backed down as a result.
    "Even if what you say is true, those photos must be fifteen years old or more."
    Zed's face turned to stone, but Red didn't understand why.
    "Fifteen years?"
    "Oh, come on, I've had enough of this don't remember crap."
    "What happened fifteen years ago?"
    "All this," Red gestured with his arms at the land before them.
    "It's like this all over?" Zed asked.
    "Who knows? I've travelled and not seen better, but it's dangerous to move around much these days. Always somebody wants to take what's yours, and they'll kill to get it."
    "You seem to have got by okay here."
    "Yeah, just. Why? Because we keep our heads down, we don't look for trouble, and we don't invite it in."
    "I am sorry for bringing them to your door. I never meant to bring trouble."
    "Yeah, but you did. So far you've cost us a bit of food and a wounded man that will hopefully make it through. We can live with that, but don't take any more from us."
    Zed didn't know what to say. He had never wanted to cause harm to anyone that didn't harm him first, but he knew he this was his doing.
    "I don't buy this story. This you don't know who you are crap. I don't know why you are making it up, and I really don't care too much, just as long as you get out of here as quickly as you came."
    Zed sighed as he leaned over the wall in despair.
    "How can I make you believe me? How can I make you trust me? Has the whole world gone to shit?" he grumbled.
    Red didn't respond. Zed just wanted to weep. He reached into his bag and took out his flask for a sip of water.
    "Where did you get that?" Red asked in amazement.
    Zed didn't understand, but the man seemed to recognise it.
    "It's mine."
    "No, don't you give me that shit! There ain't no way in hell you got that any way but by stealing it!"
    Zed