A Short Story By Thomas Evans

The year is 2024, Humanity has been decimated by the events of world war three which ended in the fall of nuclear fire, That was five years ago and what remains of human kind is struggling to exist in the cold reality of what the earth has now become. Pockets of survivors live out their days in isolation from the rest of the world struggling to survive in the bleak radioactive nightmare of society's remains. One such group is able to carry out their now primate existence in what remains of Washington DC but new threats are beginning to emerge from the rubble and dust, And these threats are far from human. Bore from the radioactive dust of the old world these creatures are as far from their previous forms as humanly recognisable, Creatures that even god himself would shun.

He wiped the moisture from the screen of his mask effortlessly; Gas masks had become a part of daily life in what remains of modern society, those without them quickly died from radiation poisoning or worse. He grasped hold of his rifle and quickly checked his masks filter before peering out into the street, it looked empty but that is a mistake he has made one to many times, He couldn't see the others he had arrived with and it was deathly silent besides the panting of his breath under the mask he wore. To everyone else this was his face and nothing more, He considered this a good thing as faces always left an attachment to people even after they were long gone, it made it easier to forget people, Easier to continue, It made pulling the trigger some less painful.
Suddenly a clatter of rubble disrupted the silence, he raised his weapon ready to take a shot but it was a familiar mask.
"Where are the others?" He asked expecting an obvious reply.
"I...I don't know..." She replied voice muffled by the mask "Some.....thing took them"
She was never normally shocked by such events anymore, but there was a hint of fear in her voice.
"Some.....thing...?" He replied.