Horsewoman of the Wastes

Journal Entry #1: 12/3/2067

Hello, my name is Claire Eastroad, and I am a horsewoman of the Eastern wastelands. It has been three decades since the bombs fell causing the apocalypse, and those who remain struggle to survive everyday. My job is to bring food and medicine to enclaves who continue to survive despite the harsh conditions. Everyday, I brave dust storms and raiders who try to steal my cargo.

I have just been given a new task where I am to deliver a vital package across a ruined forest to an enclave building a hospital. My commanding officer says that if it is completed, then hundreds of lives can be saved in this harsh world. I have been warned that to make it to the enclave, I will need to cross land that is known raider territory. The raiders, who call themselves the Bloodmaw, are known for their brutality and are rumored to eat their victims, but I am not afraid. I need to give this package to the enclave, because it is the best chance for my sister’s survival.

I have been riding for over eight hours now, and the storms have shown no mercy to me. Every moment, my face is being battered by coarse, rough winds. I can barely see ten feet in front of me, but I deliberately chosen this time to travel as it is my hope that the winds will hide me from the Bloodmaw. I saw the ruined forest about an hour ago, and I hope that I can make camp in a nearby cave.

My horse’s name is Atwall. She is a sturdy steed who has helped me through many trials. She is also nearing the end of her days as a messenger horse after nearly twenty years, and multiple riders. My hope for Atwall is that she can retire in a nearby farm. I know a place where she can live peacefully. A loyal mount like her shouldn’t be turned to food.

I believe I saw torches earlier and if I am correct, then the Bloodmaw are actively hunting right now, and I will need to be more careful. I have brought with me a revolver that has stayed in my family for generations, and after years of training, I have won shooting competitions. If they try to capture me, I can shoot them in the head accurately from a distance of upwards of twenty yards, but I don’t have many bullets. My commanding officer told me to only reserve my firearm for an emergency, and for once, I have to agree.

Journal Entry #1: 12/4/2067

Even though I found a cave to make camp in, it was hard for me to sleep last night. I could swear that I heard yelling and screaming during the night. From the animalistic shouts and chants, I knew it was the Bloodmaw. I believe that found an unfortunate group of travelers, stole their belongings and then possibly ate them. Many people who are desperate enough try to travel to the oasis located near the enclave, and the Bloodmaw prey on anyone who is desperate enough to risk the trip.

Today, I was hoping for a dust storm as even though they hurt my eyes, it will hide me from the raiders. Unfortunately, there were no dust storms today and looking outside of the cave, the land and sky were almost completely clear, meaning that if I try to travel in the morning or afternoon, I will likely be found by the Bloodmaw. I then decided to wait until dark to travel.

Atwall doesn’t like travelling at night. I have known this for years and she seemed distressed when I told her the news. I tried my best to comfort her, including giving her a carrot from my pack. Atwall seemed more calm afterwards, and I told her I was sorry to make her travel at night.

I also knew that I needed to leave the cave as quickly as I could. I had found human bones in the cave, some of which had been turned into terrifying artifacts and charms. It was then it became clear to me that this was a hideout for the Bloodmaw. I had to cover my mouth with my jacket to prevent me from yelling. The bones also bothered Atwall, and I moved her to a different part of the cave.

Night had just arrived, and I promised Atwall that we wouldn’t have to travel long. Leading her to the opening of the cave, Atwall hesitated for about a minute. I had to continually coax her until she finally left the cave, and we have ridden under the night sky for about two hours now. Every sound, from a nearby fox running around, to a local bird chirping, gives me a shock of anxiety. I continually looked at my watch, knowing that my commanding officer told me that the journey wouldn’t take more than ten hours now.

Journal Entry #1: 12/5/2067

I am nearing the enclave now. I can see their lights from the distance. However, I believe that I am in trouble. I was unable to find any caves yesterday, meaning that me and Atwall had to continually ride without sleep. I can tell that Atwall is exhausted. She sounds sick, but I promised her that we are almost at the enclave where there is food and water. Atwall seemed encouraged, but my troubles weren’t over.

I could hear them an hour ago. They were far, but I could hear their vehicles moving through the land. Their cars were not well-maintained, and I could hear the engines groan and scream as they moved through the ruined forest, destroying trees and undergrowth as they did. Suddenly, I heard gunshots.

One of them hit Atwall, and she quickly fell to the ground. I was lucky that I wasn’t injured, but I also knew that I had to leave my loyal companion. I said sorry as I took the package and said a final good-bye to my old friend as I quickly ran through the forest. I was able to find an area with dense foliage, which was where I hid.

The villains looked all over the area for me. They quickly found Atwall and executed her with two shots to the head. I had to look away as it was too terrible to look at. The raiders also wore vests decorated with human bones and laughed as they executed my friend. They also brought rifles and machine guns, so it became obvious to me that I wasn’t going to be able to shoot my way out.

I then noticed that across a nearby river, there was a bridge that led directly to the enclave, meaning that if I could make my way across, I would be safe. I was able to sneak my way to the river, but before I could reach the bridge, two raider suddenly appeared in the area, meaning that I had to fight my way to the bridge quietly.

I unsheathed my knife, knowing that if I used my revolver, the other raiders would hear. I waited for the two raiders to separate, and when they did, I managed to sneak up on one of them and slit his throat. He tried to scream, but he couldn’t as I covered his head with one of my pouches after I cut his throat. When the second one went looking for him, I knocked him out with a nearby rock before suffocating him with rope. I then crossed the bridge, finishing my mission.