Chapter 15: The River of Shadows
927 Words
The sun rose slowly, casting pale, gray light across the wasteland. After the chaos of the previous day, the quiet felt unnatural, as though the world was holding its breath. We packed our things quickly, leaving the crumbling building and the memories of the creatures that had nearly killed us.
Kade pointed east, where the map indicated a river lay just a few miles away. “If we’re lucky, we can reach it by midday and refill our supplies.”
“And if we’re not lucky?” Finn asked, his tone heavy with sarcasm.
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Kade replied curtly, adjusting the strap of his pack.
I tightened my grip on my blade and followed, feeling the weight of exhaustion in my bones. None of us had gotten much sleep, and the wasteland never gave second chances.
---
As we walked, the terrain began to shift. The flat, barren earth gave way to uneven ground, dotted with jagged rocks and the skeletal remains of trees. The air was thick and humid, a stark contrast to the dry wind we’d grown used to.
“We must be getting close,” Lila said, her eyes scanning the horizon.
The sound of running water reached us before the river came into view. It was faint at first, a soft, almost musical murmur that felt out of place in the wasteland.
When we finally reached the riverbank, the sight was both a relief and a warning. The water was dark and sluggish, its surface marred by patches of oily residue. Strange, pale plants clung to the edges, their roots dipping into the contaminated stream.
“Looks…drinkable,” Finn said, though his expression betrayed his doubt.
“Not without filtering it,” Kade said, pulling a small, makeshift purifier from his pack. “Even then, I wouldn’t trust it completely.”
---
We worked quickly, filling our canteens and running the water through the purifier. The process was slow, and the sound of the river was unnerving, its steady flow masking other noises.
“This place feels off,” Lila said, her voice low.
“You’re just paranoid,” Finn replied, though he kept his rifle close.
She shot him a sharp look. “Paranoia’s what keeps us alive out here.”
---
I was keeping watch when I saw the first ripple. It was small, barely noticeable against the sluggish current, but it sent a chill down my spine.
“Something’s in the water,” I said, stepping back from the edge.
The others froze, their eyes scanning the river. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, without warning, a massive shape surged out of the water, its scaled body glistening in the dull light.
The creature was unlike anything I’d ever seen—a mutated fusion of reptile and fish, its gaping maw filled with needle-like teeth.
“Move!” Kade shouted, shoving me back as the creature lunged.
---
The camp descended into chaos. Finn fired his rifle, the shots echoing across the river, but the bullets barely seemed to affect the creature. It roared—a guttural, bone-shaking sound—and lashed out with a tail lined with jagged spines.
Lila darted forward, her blade flashing as she slashed at the creature’s side. The wound was shallow, but it bought us a few precious seconds.
“Get to higher ground!” Kade yelled, pointing to a rocky outcrop nearby.
We scrambled up the slope, the creature snapping at our heels. Its movements were slow on land, but its sheer size made it a relentless threat.
---
Once we reached the outcrop, Kade pulled out another one of his explosives. “We need to lure it closer,” he said, his eyes scanning the terrain.
Finn shook his head. “You’re insane. That thing will tear us apart before it even gets close enough.”
“It’s our best shot,” Kade insisted.
“I’ll do it,” I said, surprising even myself.
Kade handed me the device, his expression grim. “Be quick. And don’t miss.”
---
Heart pounding, I climbed down from the outcrop, the explosive clutched tightly in my hand. The creature turned its glowing eyes on me, its massive jaws opening in a roar.
“Come on, you overgrown lizard,” I muttered, backing away slowly.
The creature lunged, its claws tearing through the mud as it charged. I waited until it was almost on top of me before diving to the side, rolling to my feet and throwing the explosive with all my strength.
The device stuck to the creature’s chest, and I ran as fast as I could, Kade’s voice ringing out behind me.
“Get clear!”
---
The explosion was deafening, the shockwave knocking me off my feet. When I looked up, the creature lay motionless, its body half-submerged in the river.
“You okay?” Lila called, helping me to my feet.
“Define ‘okay,’” I replied, brushing mud from my face.
Kade and Finn joined us, their expressions a mix of relief and exhaustion.
“Let’s finish up and get out of here,” Kade said. “This place has already cost us too much time.”
---
As we left the river behind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the wasteland was watching us, testing us. Every step forward brought us closer to something we couldn’t fully understand—something far worse than mutated creatures and poisoned water.
But we didn’t stop. We couldn’t stop.
The wasteland wasn’t going to fix itself.
- Writer
