Snippet #1116013

It is a long walk across the scorched earth. With each step forward it feels as if you have made no progress at all. While the nights were next to freezing, the days felt as if you could catch on fire at any moment. It had only been a few hours since sunrise and Charles had already drank most of his water. It was stupid of him and he admitted it, but it would be better to dehydrate later than sooner. However, unless he could get a hold of some more water, that later will come much sooner. Minutes passed by but to Charles they felt like hours, suddenly he saw something in the distance that gave him hope. Without missing a beat, he broke into a run.

He finally got near enough to the building to read the sign that hung above it. Quickstop the sign read. At one point in the past, this was a place that sold off necessities for the same prices as luxuries and the people of the past paid for them without hesitation. Someone living in the end times would call those people foolish, but Charles didnt have time to question the motives of the past. He walked in and almost fell to his knees at the sight in front of him. This gas station was almost untouched, there was food on the shelves and almost directly across the store from Charles was a fridge full of water. He sprinted across the floor and swung open the fridge, of course without power the water was warm, but that didnt bother Charles one bit. He grabbed a bottle at random and ripped it open. He swilled a small taste in his mouth to see if it tasted off, the water was perfect. He chugged down the rest of the bottle and began grabbing others and placing them in a bag.

He carried a huge smile on his face when the bag was filled to the brim with water, all he needed now was a larger jug so he could pour the water into that and be less encumbered in his travels. His smiled disappeared when he heard the sound of a shotgun pump behind him. "Drop the bag and turn around slowly." a voice said behind him. Charles did as he was told and turned around. He saw an old man holding up a rusted shotgun to his face. "All I wanted was some water" Charles pointed out. "I didnt mean to take from your supply." The old man lowered the shotgun a bit but not completely. "All of you damn scavenger rats are the same. You think youre entitled to everything, now get the hell out of here before I give you a third eye socket." Charles kept his hands raised as he exited the building and walked away thirstier than before.