Godhead Anima

Chapter 4: Aresdale Will Never Die

 5 Years Ago

 In the years after the fall, new societies began to take root. Most of them were lorded over by one religious doctrine or another. There were cities, however, scattered across the planet that acted like safe havens for those that wanted to live free from the gods tyrannical rule over human kind. These were thanks to the god known as Baurus. There wasn't much known about Baurus, other than he hated all other gods and thought humans deserved to live under their own authority and so helped a lucky few build walled cities. Aresdale thought by those living their to be the strongest of these cities.

 Sebastian's parents took sanctuary at Aresdale when he was very young. Now seventeen, he was helping his mom carry this weeks groceries home from the rations line using an old wheel barrow. He was slimmer in these years or maybe just weaker. With his hair down to his shoulders. He wore clothes made in Aresdale. Roomy jean shorts and a brown tank top.

 Structurally Aresdale looked like a town made from the desperation that only the apocalypse could bring about. Buildings made from scrap metal and baseboard. Trailer homes turned into stores. Rabbit and mice were not off the menu for a home cooked meal should one be unfortunate enough to get itself caught.

 The people there, however, were happy. It was as if they lived in a utopia. Most of all the people that had experience the outside world. Sebastian had never seen the place himself. Glimpses of memory from when he was five would race through his thoughts from time to time, but nothing of note ever came from them. No fires, no wars, no rotting corpses or cult fanatics as the folk around here tend to tell stories about. He just remembers a single man with crispy skin, standing in the woods as his father carried Sebastian in arms and ran for their lives toward sanctuary.

 Peculiar, for sure, but nothing that would scare him off from the outside.

 The wheel barrow was jumping up and down over the rocks laid out on the dirt road as an attempt to keep it from eroding away too quickly. One big one sent the wheel barrow jolting to the left where he ran into a man and his wife.

 "Sorry about that." Sebastian said.

 "No worries. No worries at all mate. Cheers." He said gaily and walked off.

 "Wonderful hall this week." Maria said, inspecting the contents inside the wheel barrow, "I'd say 40% more than last week. Either the crops are producing more than usual or the scouts have got some new talent in their ranks."

 Sebastian turned towards her as he walked, "About that, mom. I was thinking and. . .well, you know I'm graduating in a week. I think I've found the job I want to sign up for."

 Maria had a kind face. Smooth rounded cheeks reddened as though she wore blush even though she never did. Her eyes a blazing blue and her hair Sebastian's same color of dirty blonde going brown. Her head standing four inches below Sebastian she was one whose image in your head was that of a giant even as she stood somewhat vertically stunted in reality. She walked with an elegant awkwardness. With one hand she swung the hem of her blue dress back and forth while with the other she nibbled on her fingers as a tick.

 Maria shot him a nasty glance, pausing the chewing of her hand, "Don't tell me you're thinking of joining the scouts? The scouts? Do you just not enjoy life or something? Do you have a death wish? You know a very nice therapist just moved in to Aresdale the other week. I ran into him on Napal Street. I bet I can get you a session if your minds gone wrong."

 "My mind hasn't gone wrong mom. I just . . . I don't know. I want to see the world. You know? I've only ever seen the twenty mile radius of Aresdale. Don't get me wrong, I love the city and my friends in it. But this can't be all there is."