The Life Of A Demon Warrior

Chapter Four - Fog Meadow Valley

     The next day I spend a few hours making more crude weapons out of the bones from the stag and some branches as well as a couple small logs - I make a couple more spears, a spiked club, a few stakes, a short club, and a small knife. Then I go out to the stream and clean myself up before going back into the bunker and putting on the one shirt that doesn't say NECC on it and a clean pair of pants and a pair of boots before digging in my bag for the money I took, taking out about two thousand dollars and stuffing it in my back pocket {Are we going somewhere?} Ember asks {Yeah - I need to get some things from town} I reply as I put one knife in each boot and one in my belt before going up and out of the bunker and going up into the trees, heading for the main road.

When I reach the main road I follow it for awhile before I find a side road leading to a town and I start following that. After about an hour and a half I can see the town in a clearing of trees. I climb down from the tree and continue along the road towards the town. After a few minutes I see a sign that reads 'Welcome to Fog Meadow Valley' as I continue walking along the road. When I get to the town I take a look around at the small town, taking note of where the police station, fire department, doctor's office, convenience store, gas station, post office, and little stores are as I walk around.

I spot a little thrift shop and go inside and start looking around at the clothes, antiques, shoes, books and other miscellaneous items throughout the small space. I find a black leather jacket, a pair of hiking boots, a few pairs of jeans, and some T-shirts in my size and I take them to the front counter and set them on top for the clerk to ring up "That will be.... fifty dollars, Canadian" she says with a smile and I pull out some of the money in my back pocket and hand her two twenties "here's forty dollars American that should be about fifty dollars and seventy five cents Canadian" I say, the clerk glances down at the currency conversion chart she has on the countertop "that's what it is exactly" she says with a note of surprise in her voice as she takes the money and puts it in the cash register and hands me three Canadian quarters and my purchases in a plastic shopping bag. I thank her and go out the door.

I walk around a bit before going into a small grocery store and set my bag down by the front counter and pick up a basket and start looking around the shop, picking up shampoo, conditioner, a twin set of pillows, a blanket, a box with four bars of soap, a bag of beef jerky, a loaf of bread, a box of crackers, a stick of deodorant, a small bottle of yellow mustard, and a block of cheddar cheese and I go back to the counter and put the basket on the counter. While the clerk is busy ringing up my things and putting them in a bag I look down at the counter at the items on display there and I point at a black leather wallet "I'll take that wallet too" I say, he nods and grabs it and puts it on top of the counter and rings that up as well and gives me my total. I reach into my back pocket and pull out a hundred dollar bill and a fifty dollar bill and I place them on the counter "keep the change" I say without looking at him before I pick up my bag from the thrift shop and my bag from the counter then I turn around and walk out of the store.

I start heading back through town to go back to the bunker and on my way I come close to an alley between the post office and the local pharmacy and as I approach the alley I hear what sounds like someone on the phone {Do you think it's a NECC Ranger?} Ember says suspiciously {I don't know} I reply. I slow down and pause by the post office and listen in on the conversation "No he doesn't know I'm here" a teenage girl's voice said, I can't hear what is said in response but the young woman giggles and says back "I can't wait to see you again tonight - I always have so much fun when I'm with you"  {It sounds like she is sneaking around with her boyfriend behind her father's back} Ember says, sounding relieved and I leave the alley and continue my way back out of town.

Once I get back to the bunker I pull the old blanket off the bed and put the new blanket on, then I replace the pillows before putting the soap, shampoo, conditioner, and food I got on the table and the bag from the thrift store under the loft bed with my duffle bag. Then I open up the beef jerky and eat a piece before making a sandwich using the bread and cheese I just bought as well as some of the cooked deer meat I still have and I eat that as well. After I've finished eating I take go over the the bag from the thrift shop and take out the hiking boots, the leather jacket, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a red t-shirt then I grab the shampoo, conditioner and a bar of soap from the box and I put it all in a bag before heading back out of the bunker and going to the stream to bathe.

Once I'm clean I dry myself off with my old shirt before I put on my new clothes {hmm.... this leather jacket suits me} I think as I look down at myself {it does} Ember agrees as I put the soap, shampoo, conditioner, and old clothes back into the bag and head back into the bunker. {okay you're clean and wearing new clothes - now what?} Ember asks {nothing for today} I respond {any plans for tomorrow?} she says {yeah I was going to try doing some foraging tomorrow} {sounds good to me}