Vault 79

Chapter 5: Merchants

The blaring light cuts through the poorly made curtains, I cover my eyes with my wrist and moan, I wipe the sleep out of the corners of my eyes and sigh. my body feels rested and I shift easily in my sleeping bag, I smile and laugh at our adventure so far. Bailey fell asleep on a couch, his blonde afro tangled and messy he snores loudly, Alisya is sleeping on a bed and looks completely normal. I stand up and reach into my bag and pull out a apple I bite into it and the juice runs through my tastebuds, mmm. I take another bite and another and soon it's gone, I take a long drink and walk down the stairs.

As I walk outside and feel the cool air ruffle my golden hair, Mary is sat on the bench outside her home smoking a another cigarette. I look at her "you want one?" She asks, I shake my head "I don't smoke" she nods and turns back blowing the grey smoke from her mouth, it drifts off into the air. "Vault 79? Huh the only vault with its own meat source." I nod
"Did you ever live in one?"
"Nah, I've been in the wasteland my whole life"
"Oh do you know so much about vaults?"
"I hacked some computers and the files for the vaults were on there, like vault 5 it was full of radroaches, vault 157 had no water"
"Why's that?"
"They were all built differently to test human nature"
"Why would vault tec do that"
"Because they were a controlling company at the time, they were interested in what humans would do"
"What happened in vault 157?"
"They went crazy began drinking each other's blood they all died though"
"Oh" feeling a stab of guilt for living in a normal vault, "vault 45 was the only that was built correctly, it's still closed to this very day" I nod
"What's the deal with the ceiling and the massive yellow orb?" I ask
"Oh hahhaha the ceiling is called the "sky" it's light blue when it's day and dark when it's night and the orb is the sun its there at day and the moon comes out at night" I understood now.

"So your telling me you use bottle caps for cash?" Bailey asked "yeah the guy at the general store said so" Alisya shrugged. We turned and saw a few people run into their homes "what's going on?" I asked Jack "it's Maiya and Flynn, they ride in on their lucons they're merchants, me Suzi and nan like them they sell us stuff but they shoot at some citizens for fun" I nod "wait what's a lucon?" I ask "its one of those horse things"

I see a girl who looks 17 and a boy who looks 19 ride in on a brown and red lucon. "Get out of here Maiya!" A guy yells into the girls face "why should we?" She asks "because you scare us!" She rolls her eyes "you guys are no fun" she kicks the lucons side and walks over to us "who are you" she asks, she has long messy brown hair under her fringe she has goggles and blue eyes, she has a scar on her eyebrow. she wears a hoodie and jeans with knee pads and elbow pads. She has a knife in her pocket and some sort of rifle on her back, Flynn has blonde hair and blue eyes, he wears steel armour with a assault rifle, he's ripped off one of the arm pieces and red scars run down it, on both of their lucons are supplies, "hey Mary! Who are these guys? Maiya asks mary points to each one of us "Rhett, Bailey and Aliysa" she glares at Aliysa quickly and ruffles jacks hair "how's my little cousins??" She asks. cousins?!?! "Good cuz!" They reply "hey" Flynn finally speaks "go play or something" they run off quickly as "hey nan deathclaws are coming in fast" Maiya says "oh shit" Mary says, Maiya looks at us "I need your help" I ask "what are deathclaws?"
"Oh your vault dwellers"
"Yeah"
"Well anyway deathclaws are big mutations and there's some coming here "
"Oh crap"
"Yeah yeah so we need your help. you the guy with the Afro you have a rifle can you use it?"
He nods "sure can"
"Cool, can you hold that pistol"
"I guess" Aliysa says through gritted teeth
"Alright come on then" they get off their lucons and walk to the end of town we follow, we stand in the dust and wait soon in the distance we see giant figures running on four legs right for the town. "Here they come" Flynn says. I grip my sledgehammer harder and hold my ground the brown mutations come closer they have massive claws and spikes on their back. Maiya shoots lasers from her rifle, bullets fly out of flynns assault rifle, some of the deathclaws run for other citizens biting their torsos in half and tearing their heads off. Bailey shoots skilfully as Alisya shots tiny 10mm bullets. I charge and smack a deathclaw right in the temple it falls as it brains and blood spill out. together Maiya and Flynn shoot one in the head and it falls, Flynn runs towards one and stabs it in the heart multiple times with a knife blood sprays on his face, Bailey shoots one in the temple as it falls he yells "take that bitch!!!" I bash one in the leg and it falls clawing at me I dodge getting slightly hurt I stomp it's ripcage with the hammer and hear *CRACK* it whines with a howl and bleeds out, Alisya screams as a deathclaw runs at her at full speed and rips her chest open Maiya fires laser bullets into its spine and it falls, blood gurgles out of Alisyas mouth she falls with only a little bit of life left she says "Rhett don't worry about me, find your father and continue on your adventure I- I love you" she closes her eyes and stop breathing, silent tears run down my eyes, a siren blars ruining the atmosphere, "GET UNDER COVER NOW" people panic Maiya and Flynn run for Mary's home "Bailey, Rhett run!" I grab Aliysas body and throw her over my shoulder...

"When ever that siren sounds you run because it means acid rain" Flynn explains. I sit next to Aliysas body "we will bury her after the rain stops" Mary says putting a sheet over her, Maiya walks over to me "you were amazing out there and we were wondering if maybe we could travel with you?" "Yeah why not" she smiles "thanks" I use a stimpak to heal my injuries, baileys does too, Maiya and Flynn use bandages "is that a stimpak?! We haven't seen one of those for years" maiya says.

The rain finally stops and we bury Alisyas body in a meadow near Sunnyville. I stay while everyone leaves

I rest my head on my pillow and close my eyes somehow that night in my dreams Aliysas spirit reached me and she gave me courage....