I'm starting a new book. I'll try and update regularly. You can check out the book on Wattpad. An Obsolete World by Emmanuel Akan. Vote if you like and make comments.
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Here is the book cover.

When the world began dying, it started with its most of its inhabitants oblivious to the hard fact. Life kept up with its usual pace and humans were unaware of the situation around them, living their lives in bliss ignorance.

It was not until a few deaths in the city of Stockholm, Sweden which at first seemed benign and unrelated to each other that caught the attention of some people. People began to realize that there was an anomaly with the world they lived in. There arose a number of speculations about the cause and reasons for the deaths, but soon some answers began to surface. The answers being that firstly, the deceased all lost their lives in hospitals or medical centers in which they had been remanded as a result of their unusual maladies. Secondly, all the patients displayed common symptoms which mainly appeared as a mauve colored skin and blood shot eyes. Thirdly, the autopsies carried out on the patients presented no plausible cause for the deaths occurring. Lastly, results from experiments proved that the new disease had no cure and it was the first of its kind.

However, this information was kept classified by the Swedish government which did not want the news to spread and cause panic which would disrupt experiments and normalcy in the country. Experiments were funded by the Swedish federal government and it was carried out in secluded laboratories in the country. Information from the press in future airings would reveal the location of those laboratories to be Halmstad, where the first major death cases where recorded. The results of further experiments established a further shocking fact, the disease was viral and highly contagious. There were no serious death reports from the disease, so the government decided to withhold the news about the virus.

That proved to be a very fatal mistake as the disease could not be effectively controlled in the Swedish laboratories. The animal test subjects that were injected with antigens from the virus exhibited the same symptoms of the Stockholm patients and also acted rabid-like. The turning point occurred when a Swedish laboratory attendant in an attempt to extract a test rat from its containment tubule was bitten. Reports say he wasn’t aware of the bite and unfortunately he contracted the virus. It was not until a few days later, he began to exhibit the same symptoms. He had already been in contact with almost all of the team of scientists and nobody was confident about their health status. The situation led to a unanimous vote being agreed upon and supported by the team members to enable them confine themselves to working in isolation.

The laboratory attendant was restrained in an observation chamber and various tests were carried out on him. The human subject gradually began to lose sanity and his body underwent various mutations. Extensive experiments revealed the lifestyle of the virus. Its cells undertook regeneration per millisecond while repeatedly copying themselves into other body cells, organs and systems until it had whole possession of the body. An extraordinary characteristic of the viral cells were its inability to expire. Despite the ever increasing amount of viral cells, they never perished to allow for a stable environment. They simply replicated as they occupied space in the body until the body’s own cells died due to the unsuitable environment which prohibited its survival. The body’s immune system is therefore rendered powerless and the body follows suit in a short time. It was also discovered that the victim also displayed the craving to bite and portrayed an outlook similar to mental derailment.

Within a few weeks, the laboratory attendant passed away and in that short span of time, almost all of the scientists had acquired the virus and displayed full-fledged symptoms. When the proceedings of the assignment were submitted to the Swedish government by the remaining scientists who had not begun to display the symptoms and were still sane enough, the government ordered the termination of the project. Military action was engaged to take control of the situation and armed forces were deployed in Halmstad with the objective of exterminating all the scientists. Despite the action taken, not all the scientists were killed and some escaped to unknown whereabouts.

Realizing their mistakes, the Swedish government officials had no other alternative other than publicizing information about the situation. The entire world was thrown into panic and the Sweden was put into lockdown. However, the virus had already began its action, infecting millions in the country. It was a bloodbath as victims wrecked carnage on their surroundings and citizens were forced to migrate to other countries illegally. The virus got out of Sweden and that was the beginning of the end.

Please I would like to hear comments from the readers

This is the wattpad link.
https://www.wattpad.com/story/225936889-an-obsolete-world

New part coming soon.

It has been about twelve years since the virus first appeared in Sweden. Ninety five percent of the Earth’s population has been wiped out. The world is on the verge of ending and the future seems bleak for all life forces. The virus has evolved and fortunately so has Earth’s remaining survivors. The survival of the Earth depends on the residual humans outliving the virus.

I craned my neck over the widespread branches in front of me and tried to guess the distance to the nearest town. From my position on a tall beech tree, I could view my surroundings openly but the town before me seemed to be quite distant and farther than I could see clearly. I assumed the distance to be about a hundred meters and groaned in evident displeasure. I was exhausted but I needed to get to the nearest town in order to get hold of some food and supplies. The journey to the town, though not too far would be prolonged due to my load. My belongings consisted of a back pack containing my essential provisions, an M14 rifle and a stock pack for my meagre ammunition. It was mainly the rifle that gave me most of the stress because of its weight but it was indispensable and crucial to my existence.

I picked up my backpack and hung it over my shoulders. My stock pack was always strapped to my waist and I grabbed the M14 slinging across my backpack getting ready to climb down the tree. I adjusted my hand gloves which were worn out from frequent tree climbing and I slowly lowered my right foot to a lower branch. I held the tree bark and repeated the process with my left foot. A wasp hovered above me and I paused trying to appear as inert as possible. It seemed that it wasn’t aware of my presence because a few moments later, it moved on to a nearby tree and I continued my flight down the beech tree. Finally arriving at the bottom of the tree, I stepped onto the forest floor and stood catching my breath. From where I sat on the tree, the direction of the town was westward so I would have to follow that route.

Humans were not the only ones affected by the Halmstad virus, plants and animals also suffered the effects of the virus. For some reason I cannot explain, the plants took on a withered look and were generally morbid. The animals were not left out as they died due to the environmental factors and the decline in plant life took its toll on them. Generally, animals were harder to locate and only a few plant life were healthy. The forest wore a gloomy look and I began my short trip to the town.

I walked carefully in the direction of the West and trying to detect any sound or movement that might be detrimental to my survival. Just a few minutes into my walk in the forest, I began to perspire with beads of sweat falling down my forehead. The forest floor was murky with mud owing to the heavy downpour of rain from the previous night. Together with the numerous fallen branches and leaves that clustered the floor, this walk was going to be a very rough one. A vine which was sustained in mid-air by two complementary branches snaked dangerously low and I lowered my head, moved under it and continued my walk. I wished I could just eat some of the fruits I could recognize here in the forest, but I didn’t want to take the chance as it might be infected.

Moving at a steady pace, I was able to cover considerable distance from the tree and I felt optimistic for the first time today. However I perceived movement in front of me from under the cover of some bushes and I went back to my usual vigilant mode. Retrieving my rifle from my back, I steadied its grip in my hands and got ready to approach the source of the disturbance. I thought about calling out to enable the person or thing to materialize from the bushes but I quickly shook the thought away from my head. I decided on killing whatever hid behind those bushes as the safest course of action. I slowly walked towards the bushes and aimed my rifle. Whatever was behind the bushes had either not noticed my presence or had decided to remain immobile, though I was sure that it was still there.

The problem was that I couldn’t pinpoint the precise location of the being and I had to estimate its apparent location. That meant I would have to fire about four shots at random points in the bush at close proximity to each other and hope that I would be lucky. If I didn’t get it, then I would have to face whatever it was. I made up my mind on where I would fire the shots and I got ready to pull the trigger.

With serious focus, I aimed at the coordinates and quickly pulled off three shots. I couldn’t afford more as I had to conserve my bullets. I heard a soft wail and I smiled inwardly, I had got my target. I approached the bushes carefully and I used the tip of the rifle to make an opening with the leaves, so that I could view my prey. I saw some fur and when I fully made the opening, I saw the victim of my bullet, a small raccoon. I smiled at my luck and dragged it onto open ground. I concealed the raccoon with some leaves I found nearby while returning the M14 to its position.

Hoisting up the raccoon on my shoulders, I looked forwards, ready to continue my journey. My load had increased but with luck, I could trade the raccoon for something valuable or consume it as a last resort. I tried increasing the distance I would cover by jogging as I had wasted some time and I hoped I would make it to the town in record time.

A few hours later, I found the end of the forest trail and knew I was at the border of the town. I emerged from the forest and stepped into open ground. I could see the town up close now just a few meters away. It looked like the rest of other settlements on the planet, mostly decrepit and rundown. I sighed in relief and walked towards my temporary destination. With my luck, I hoped it would be a ghost town as I needed the luxury of rummaging the buildings without any disturbance.

Due to the virus outbreak, billions of people in the world had died. The global economy had vanished and with little or no civilization, the world was reverting back on its evolution and was quickly moving back to near primitive times. There was no existence of countries, states, provinces etc. Every remaining human either survived in solitude or lived in groups for protection. The victims of the virus in their senseless attacks of slaughter wreaked havoc on everything around them, including the buildings and settlements. This lead to all the towns and other places that survived having the dilapidated look.

I finally arrived at the town and didn’t bother to look at the signboard on which the name of the town was inscribed. It didn’t matter any longer, so I didn’t trouble myself about it. The few buildings around the anterior of the town were in a sorry state and I made my way into the town. I t didn’t look like anybody was around but I wasn’t sure about that so I unslung my rifle once again.

Walking around for a few minutes, I noticed a building that looked like it had once being a convenient store and I decided to visit there first. A scruffy looking fox scurried past me but I left it to roam. I looked around me trying to discern how safe it was and finally pushed the doors open. I was greeted by a musty smell and dust that seemed to be on every surface. Coughing gently, I covered my nose and moved forward examining my surroundings. The shelves were obviously ransacked as some were lying on the floor and all seemed empty. All the electrical appliances in the small building were either broken or missing and the counter lay abandoned. I walked through the aisles still hoping to find something useful when I came to a corner of the store. A broken shelf lay on the floor and I caught a glimpse of something glistening under it and I decided to inspect.

Coming closer carefully, I looked under the shelf and realized it was some sort of canned substance. I reached under the shelf and retrieved the can, peering closely at it. It was dusty and I wiped the dust with my gloves as I looked at its caption, I recognized the can, it was a processed corn and I smiled again. I had been lucky a second time today. I detached my backpack and dropped it on the ground, along with my rifle, the can of corn and the raccoon parcel. I then decided to lift the shelf to see if I would find any other surprise.

Crouching down, I put my hands under the shelf and heaved it up slowly as it was quite heavy. The shelf was lodged in between other shelves around it and it took time before I could free the shelf I was holding. Finally, I was able to lift the shelf up and wedge it against the wall. A flurry of dust flew about and I covered my face coughing again, this time more furiously. In a few moments, I was able to recover and I got ready to scavenge for more items when my eyes caught a figure under the shelf I had just lifted. The figure was on lay on the ground with its back facing forward and I couldn’t see its face. However I could see its mauve colored skin with bulging veins on the skin exposed from the rags it was clothed in as I froze, dread growing within me.

Anybody following?
@Shewrites @kunki90 @kayo80 @saturn101 @Awesome05 @kweensheba @FairCritic @oyinprince @hizeeksheun. I'm inviting you all to read my science fiction story.

DarkGamer:
Anybody following?
@Shewrites @kunki90 @kayo80 @saturn101 @Awesome05 @kweensheba @FairCritic @oyinprince @hizeeksheun. I'm inviting you all to read my science fiction story.

Present...

DarkGamer:
Anybody following?
@Shewrites @kunki90 @kayo80 @saturn101 @Awesome05 @kweensheba @FairCritic @oyinprince @hizeeksheun. I'm inviting you all to read my science fiction story.

Present ooh!

Alright. How do you find the story?

DarkGamer:
Alright. How do you find the story?

Nice start, awaiting more updates.
And i guess you're inspired to write this due to the coronavirus pandemic

biokuabdullahi:

Nice start, awaiting more updates.
And i guess you're inspired to write this due to the coronavirus pandemic

Oh Yes, this story is covid-inspired. Update loading........

Still momentarily stunned, I stared at the figure before me, waiting to see any sign of life. It was another human mutated by the virus. It lay immobile on the floor me and in my near trance state, I noted its physical appearance. The mutant lay covered in old working coveralls that were now transformed into rags due. The figure was clearly masculine and seemed about six feet in height. It also reeked of a fetid odor and I felt the impulse to gag immediately. However I wasn’t sure it was dead or alive, so I decided to retreat back slowly while facing forward so I could watch for any sudden movements the figure before me might make.

I took a deep breath and moved backwards, one feet at a time. My heart was racing with fear as I didn’t know what to expect. The human-turned-monster could be capable of anything and though I had gotten rid of some of them in the past, I had never faced one this close. Still retreating away from the mutant, I was unaware of the direction my feet were going, I just did anything to get away from my current location. I received a dreadful shock when my right leg bumped into the can of corns I had placed behind me. In that split second, multiple things occurred. I realized myself and snapped out from my dream state, also staggering back and landing against an erect shelf. The shelf gave way under my weight and also probably from years of disuse and wear and I found myself flat on the ground.

The falling shelf also fell against some other nearby shelves and furniture began to fall like a pack of dominoes. The noise generated was deafening especially as I was in a dead town with no other source of sound. Muttering a silent prayer, I raised my face to look at the mutant and through the dust and debris around me, I could see its silhouette on the wall and it was moving. I tried to stand up, but I discovered that I had sprained my ankle.
Shit, And here I was thinking I was under some kind of spree of good luck, I thought to myself.

I mustered all the strength I had left and using the wall besides me as a leverage, I was able to stand up slowly. However, I looked up to find the mutant on its feet, staring at me with uncertainty. I knew I was screwed and I tried to search around for my rifle. The mutant moved hesitatingly forward and my eyes glanced around the floor in a frenzy. After seconds of visual searching, I finally found the rifle along with my backpack, but the only problem was that it was in the hands of the creature in front of me.

With no other option, I found myself running towards the door as adrenaline surged through my bloodstream. My ankle still hurt so my steps were uneven and my leg felt like it was on fire. I heard a guttural growl behind me and I found the mutant running behind me. I dived towards the exit door, pushing it open and before I could move ten meters away from the store, I tripped for the second time today.

Really bad timing here, Damn I can’t believe that after everything, I’m about to be turned into a monster, I cursed as I fell on the floor outside the store.

I tried to turn but I felt tremendous pain, so I knew that there was no escaping any longer. The mutant halted in front of me and I was able to see its face clearly. It had dark hair that ran down the sides of its face in plaits that were probably caused from negligence and lack of care. Its protruding veins stood against its purple colored skin and fluid dribbled from its mouth. It still held my rifle, as if trying to discern what to make of it and for a split second, I wondered if it actually had a sense of reasoning. However, I quickly drove the thought away from my mind as I doubted its possibility.
The mutant growled again and launched itself towards me. I knew that any form of physical contact could be a possibility of contracting the virus, so I waited for the last possible second and shifted away. It landed in the space that I had just been and turned to look at me. A look appeared on its face that suggested it was processing and analyzing the situation which got me wondering again if these creatures were actually intelligent. But before I could make any more assumptions, I heard three loud shots and I looked at the mutant before me, as I noticed blood oozing out from three holes in its face.

It wailed loudly and tried to stand up with evident difficulty. As it stood up again, it flailed it arms and ran around carelessly. I moved again away from it, as far as I could to prevent any form of fluids from making contact with me. Then another shot rang out and the mutant stopped its irregular motion. It seemed frozen in time and in a few moments it was down, lying against the floor again.

I looked around, trying to ascertain the situation and also assure myself of my security. The gunshots guaranteed that I wasn’t alone here and I tried moving again. Looking at the creature, I discovered it was dead and I was glad that one of my problems was over. The other problem was finding out where those shots came from and why I wasn't dead.

Nice to know someone is following. I almost got discouraged to stop after receiving no responses.

DarkGamer:

Oh Yes, this story is covid-inspired. Update loading........

Well, more ink to your pen. Update awaiting.........

DarkGamer:
Nice to know someone is following. I almost got discouraged to stop after receiving no responses.

Don't be discouraged, i'm following you wholeheartedly. Keep inviting and drop update repeatedly and you'll be amazed by the number of followers you'll see.

I sat up slowly while I looked around to ascertain the source of the gunshots. My ankle still hurt badly but I willed myself to stand and get as far away from here as possible. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to do anything to protect myself and sitting in the middle of the road just screamed my vulnerability. I stood uneasily and tried to walk when I remembered my gear. I couldn’t just leave without it, besides the absence of my rifle would leave me defenseless.

Ughhh…. Think, think, you’re easy prey standing out here like this, I groaned as I contemplated on my next course of action. Moving away from the store would get me away from those gunshots but I would be helpless without my weapon. On the other hand, going back towards the store to pick my rifle and backpack would make me an easy target but not an unarmed one. After much deliberation, I decided to go back to the store. I chose this option because I thought that if the shooter wanted me dead, I’d be dead already and I had nothing to lose.

Walking slowly, I avoided the mutant and headed to retrieve my rifle which had fallen on the ground during the mutant’s attempted assault. I got closer when I perceived footsteps approaching me. Immediately switching to alert mode, I turned around and was about to attack when I saw the source of the footsteps.

A man stood in front of me with his arms up in what seemed like mock surrender. He had rumpled brown hair and freckles on each side of his cheek. He also seemed to be quite young and he was just a bit taller than me at about five foot seven inches. His apparel also seemed similar to mine as he was dressed in a dark shirt and trousers and sporting a military combat boot.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” he said wearing a wide grin on his face.

I stared at him with uncertainty, because for all I knew he could be infected and yet to show symptoms or he might have the intent to rob me and kill me. He just smiled back at me with his arms still raised high and I decided go play along.

“And why would listen to someone I’ve just met for the first time in my life?” I inquired, looking him straight in the face. If he had any plan up his sleeves, it didn’t seem like he did. He just kept pulling that childish grin and he began to slowly walk towards me.

“I get your point, it does seem unfair and brash to walk up to you telling you what and what not to do,” the stranger said lowering his hands and dropping his smile. “But, your items were obviously in the possession of that mutant over there and that means there is a very likely possibility that it has gotten infected.”

Immediately he finished, I realized that my rash actions could have put me in a really tight situation. Then I chided my inner self for not being more security conscious and for allowing myself to get into this situation with this unknown person. Ever since I started surviving on my own because of this virus outbreak, I’ve always being independent and the idea of being corrected didn’t sit well with me. I stared at my rifle and realized my mistake, which to be fair was his fault indirectly. If he didn’t show up, I would have had more time to recollect myself.

If he didn’t show up, you would have been dead, my brain reminded me.

“Alright you’ve got me again,” I said dejectedly. “You’ve probably saved my life twice within the space of a day. Why?” I asked with a serious look. I actually needed to know the reason why I wasn’t killed or left to be killed. I asked him because ordinarily, with the way things went on now, vagabonds like me who wandered into the wrong zone or into claimed territories were eliminated without hesitation. It wasn’t a hunger or drive of killing that led to it, however it was just done for safety reasons. When the wanderer dies, the killer can then proceed to loot whatever load the wanderer possessed. I focused on my savior again waiting to hear his answer.

“It’s a no brainer really, I see potential in you,” he said reverting back to his smile and I became instantly self-conscious. A picture of me standing unevenly with a broken ankle and my disorganized appearance did not really spell potential. His next sentence made it seem like he read my mind. “I know you don’t look like much right now, but with my guidance and a little fine tuning, we can turn out to be a formidable team”

I stared at him conspicuously while laughing at his words in my head. Guidance and fine tuning! Who did he think he was talking to? I thought, still laughing inside me. Despite this degrading situation I found myself in right now, I still prided myself in my ability to have survived this long on my own and on my shooting which was quite exquisite. Therefore, I didn’t appreciate his side comment about my capability to protect myself. However, I was willing to play along to see how things went and also because I probably needed help with my sprained ankle. But I wouldn’t agree that easily so I wouldn’t seem needy and reliant.

“Oh really?” I asked coolly. “Your proposition sounds agreeable but I’m not so sure about teaming up. I mean, I’ve been doing fine on my own” He continued looking at me with his goofy smile which made me wonder if he was really as good as he seemed. I mean, he just neatly took out a mutant easily and if I hadn’t met him in person, there would definitely have been a mysterious aura that I would have felt about him. His attitude right now just blew the coolness away.

“Yup, No offence but, with a leg like that you wouldn’t last a night out here alone,” he replied, calling my bluff. “I’m starting to lose interest in the idea, you’d better make your mind quickly”

I couldn’t afford to lose this rare opportunity of forming a team which would also make me stand a higher chance of surviving. I decided to call off my bluff and accept his proposal.

I sighed as I looked at the ground uninterestingly, life was just about to get easier for me. “Fine, I accept your offer and I’ll be your partner but I call the shots”

“Alright whatever, let’s just get you fixed, the sun is about to go down”

“What about my stuff?” I asked. “I can’t possibly abandon them, they are indispensable.” I made a valid point there. My M14 rifle was actually really the only irreplaceable item there but my backpack contained some essential things too.

“Hmm… I’ll see what I can do about it but for now, we abandon it.” He replied with a solemn look as he tried to reason with me. My face immediately fell and I considered rejecting his proposition. He continued. “Look, I know it’s hard but you just have to go with me and I’ll get everything sorted out. We’ll come back for your rifle later, Trust me nobody’s is going to tamper with your stuff”

I paused and considered his statement. He was right, I had to consider my wellbeing first. I could not risk infecting myself and I probably was in no position to lug around a large gun around with my wounded ankle.

“Fine, but let’s just go before I change my mind,” I said limping away as he tried to keep a steady pace with me.

“Where are we even going?”

Akan?sounds like a southern name
Are you Ibibio or Efik??

Cool storyyyyyyy
Corona inspired�

fioky:
Akan?sounds like a southern name
Are you Ibibio or Efik??

Cool storyyyyyyy
Corona inspired�

. Your nickname also sounds Akwa Ibom-ish too.

Thanks, I hope you like the story.

I'm cordially inviting the following Nairalanders and others readers to read my Science Fiction book. An Obsolete World. You can comment if you like the story or anything. I'm open to constructive criticism. If you also aren't interested, no problem either.

@busybrains @Destinylink @Dybala11 @Counter24 @Electricboy @Streetmade @eloyce @Gadafi @exseJ @DOAI @ashatoda @Miravision @pabon @nasynic @moura7 @kakadinho0880 @ghettochild4u @ijaw1stson @sologzy @Vortex369 @royalguy123 @ImModem @ashyizzy @Monishaa @kintola @FlyingTOMATOE @Missmossy @Larrysun @Centino @Ann2012 @BigDebbie @ASHSALT @Jaika @UtimateSpice @ena5four etc.

Thank you for reading. I really hope you find it interesting.

Following

Interesting go on

“I’m taking you to my hideout,” he answered walking slowly in front of me as he led the way. “I thought that should have been obvious.”

“You know I’m still trying to convince myself that you’re not some brainwashed zombie-to-be looking for a free meal.” I retorted snidely as we trudged on.

“If I wanted to eat you, you’d have probably been cooking over a fire by now,” he finished, laughing at his own joke.

We walked in silence into the town’s interior. The buildings and structures were mostly wrecked and the few of them left standing were in a gloomy and sorry state. Potholes decorated the roads connecting streets and paths and almost every location was covered with weeds and creeping plants. Abandoned cars were littered about and it seemed like some small animals had made homes from them. The atmosphere seemed a little foggy and the air was hard to breathe in. We had covered only a few meters when I stopped by and sat on a pavement to rest.

“Is there any problem?” he inquired bending down to my level to face me. “We can stop here if you’re not able to continue.”

“No, no it’s nothing really, it’s just hard to breathe and I need to catch my breath.” I replied and inhaled deeply. My face flushed and I ran my hands through my hair.

“The air quality reduces as the night approaches, you’ll get used to it eventually. I’ll wait till you’re ready to go, there’s no rush, and we’re almost at our destination.”

After saying so, he stood up and sat beside me keeping mute. He just stared into the distance and waited. After a few minutes, I stood up and announced that I was ready to continue and he got up as well. He got into position before me, leading the way as we headed towards his hideout. The sun was starting to set and the sky took a golden hue. As we continued our slow but steady walk, we approached a junction with the makings of a ruined fountain in the center. He went left and I followed as I looked at my surroundings. After a few houses, we stopped at an abandoned bookstore.

The bookstore had only two floors and was plainly colored beige. A tilting signpost beside it read KENDRICK BOOKSTORES with some letters missing. It had a small parking lot and a confectionary beside it. The bookstore seemed quite comfortable and I guessed that in the old days, this place would have been a crowd puller.

He motioned that I follow after him and he held my arm as we walked up the six step staircase to the front door. The door was unlocked and he pushed it in, a musty book smell greeting me as I got in. It was surprising that though most places were demolished, the interior of the bookstore was still in good shape. There were a few fallen shelves and cabinets, but that was about it. Cobwebs adorned the top corners of walls and the room was generally untidy.

I watched as he walked towards a broken water dispenser and wondered what he could possibly be looking for. He stopped a few meters in front of the dispenser and bent down. I moved closer to observe his weird actions while he knocked against a floorboard with his fist. The floorboard produced a hollow sound and I assumed it was loose. However, he put his hands in between the wooden floor boards and lifted one of them up.
Another mysterious surprise today, I thought.

He turned, facing me and beckoned me over. I walked slowly, finally arriving at besides as I stared at the hole in the floor. I could see another room or basement through the hole with a ladder made of ropes hanging downwards. He turned towards me smiling as he noticed my astonishment.
“This is where I’ve been living and operating from?” he announced, giving me his signature grin.

“Operating? What exactly are you operating on from this run down basement?” I inquired with genuine interest reflecting in my facial expression.
He just shook his head and patted my head. “Don’t worry about that for now, you’ll soon know. Right now I just want you to rest and get your ankle healed.”

“Alright, but how do you expect me to get down into this hole in my current condition?”

He thought about the question and realized that it was a really valid point. There was no way I could climb down the ladder and I doubted that he was strong enough to carry the both of us. I folded my arms and waited for him to give me an answer. After comically pacing around in circles, apparently thinking, he paused raising his index finger in the air. I looked at him waiting to see hear his bright idea. However he just brushed past me and headed towards the hole. Shocked, I yelled at him as he went down the rope ladder in a flash.

“Yeah whatever. Just leave me up here alone without anything. That’s very mature of you,” I shouted sarcastically.

I was beginning to have second thoughts about teaming up with him. And that was not because he just abandoned me right now. I’d survived these twelve years without any help from anybody and all on my own. Teaming up now didn’t feel right to me and I felt like I was betraying everything about myself. On the other hand, I couldn’t continue my nomadic venture alone and in this condition. I wouldn’t even last a week in my condition. And I don’t mean only the mutants attacking me, but wild animals, other survivors, etc. The ankle could get worse and it seems like it was dislocated. Staying together with him was my best bet and probably my only means of survival. He fully had me under his control and he didn’t even realize it.

After some seconds, I heard noises from under me. It seemed that he was disorganizing the room below in search of something and I decided to take a look. I saw him piling up items and objects in the center of the room and directly below the hole. There were some old blankets, pillows, filthy looking rags and some other soft stuff. I wondered what he could actually be planning as he climbed out of the hole. By the time it dawned on me, he was already out of the hole and rapidly walking behind me.

“No way! You wouldn’t dare.” I said glaring as I turned to face him.

“You really don’t know me then. Brace yourself.”

I barely had time to register his words in my brain when I felt hands on my back. My heartbeat skyrocketed and as I tried to scream, I felt myself dropping downwards past the hole.

Son of a gun actually pushed me.

Saw ur post on waywardpikin's story, decided to checkout ur work... Its nice keep it coming and im following....

cassbeat:
Saw ur post on waywardpikin's story, decided to checkout ur work... Its nice keep it coming and im following....

Thanks. That really means a lot.

I'll try to keep the updates coming regularly. Next one dropping tomorrow.

DarkGamer:

Thanks. That really means a lot.

Welcome man

DarkGamer:
I'll try to keep the updates coming regularly. Next one dropping tomorrow.

Been following. Can't wait!

I woke up with a start and with slight throbbing pains all over my body. I tried to recall the recent happenings and I looked around the strange environment. Lying on a metal bed with worn out beddings, I saw a make shift table clustered with papers and stationeries, a large map with interconnected coordinates, a few weapons and some other items that I couldn’t even name. The room was dim with no source of ventilation except a small overhead ceiling fan. The whole room seemed like a small guerilla command center for rebels. I realized I was underground, precisely under the building of the bookstore. I remembered the stranger’s words about his base of operation and I was impressed. But then I also recollected how I had gotten into this room and I wanted to kill the piece of shit immediately. Then I saw him sitting at a far end watching me silently, and I decided to give him a piece of my mind.

“THIS IS THE LAST STRAW… WHOEVER YOU THINK YOU ARE. YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE TO HAVE PUSHED ME INTO THIS PLACE.” I yelled waving my arms frantically to convey my point. Seeming him again made me feel the rush of anger I felt as I fell downwards. But I willed myself to be calm and hear what he had to say. He stood up and approached me slowly and carefully. I could have walked out on him for good if I could at that moment.

“I know you’re mad right now and what I did yesterday was reckless but it turned out okay, don’t you think?” he asked with pleadingly.

“So you think that your half assed apology would make up for your stupid move?” I retorted still trying not to be rash. “I could have gotten more injuries or even hurt my ankles and made it worse.”

“I’m actually really sorry. My actions were thoughtless and I deserve worse but let’s not ruin this opportunity together by making a decision you’d regret later on in life.”

“You’re not getting off easily with that, I just told you that. You’d have to do a lot better than that to bribe me.”

“Alright, no problem at all,” he finished. He moved back to the chair he sat on and stretched his hands behind it to retrieve something. He raised my backpack and my M14 gesturing at me as if to say Look I’ve got your stuff, please don’t kill me. I smiled as I saw my belongings and I felt relief. He walked towards me and stopped at the bed extending his hands towards me. I received the backpack and dropped it beside me on the bed; the gun was the important thing here. I took the rifle and felt around it for any damage or rusting on its parts. Satisfied, I faced him again.

“Honestly, these are my stuff and you brought them back to me. It’s not like you went out of your way to do something special to make it up for your thoughtlessness.” I said smiling mischievously, obviously not pleased with his actions.

“Okay, quick question though. Did you have anything to do with a dead raccoon with bullet holes on its body?”

As he asked that question, I remembered the raccoon I had shot previously and I totally forgot about it. The question also made my brain to recall that I hadn’t consumed any food in over thirty hours and the feeling of hunger suddenly surged through me. I groaned out loud and threw myself on the bed.

“That was my last meal; I’m so hungry right now.” I stated baiting him to satisfy my hunger. His response made me realize that he had already covered that part.

“Through comprehension, I realized that you probably didn’t have the opportunity to eat so I got something for you.” He said with a smile and my ears became alert after hearing those words.

“Really? I hope this is not a stupid prank that you want to pull on me.”

“Absolutely not, I just have to get it.” He said reaching into the bag across his chest. I wondered why I had not noticed that before. He took out some fruits and a roast birds and handed it to me. I had never been so happy to see food in my entire life. The bird seemed medium sized and tropical, like a small chicken and the fruits were grapes. I stuffed my mouth with the chicken as I bit into a fleshy wing, delicious oil seeping into my esophagus. After what seemed like minutes, I regained my mind back and acknowledged the person in front of me.

“This makes up for it, I accept your apology,” I said with a mouth filled with grapes. Surprisingly I didn’t feel the need to comport myself before him. “Where did you even get these delicacies?”

“Yesterday night, I looked around and saw a couple of pheasants nesting in a vineyard so I hunted one for you. The grapes were an added bonus, just like killing two birds with one stone.” He said laughing at his bad attempt at a joke.

“I really need to see that place you’re talking about.” I said as I picked the remaining bits of flesh from the pheasant. Then, I realized something which I felt inclined to ask. “You keep saying yesterday when you talk, is today another day?”

“Oh yeah, it is. You slept throughout yesterday and a good part of today.” He replied glancing at his analogue wristwatch. “It’s about one o’clock in the afternoon.”

Damn, I couldn’t believe I had slept that long. There was no natural lighting in this subterranean room so I wouldn’t even realize it.

“It’s probably a good thing too because you need as much rest as you can to heal your ankle.” He said walking around the room and inspecting the table. “Look towards the left side of the bed and you’ll see a water dispenser, you can draw drinking water from there if you want to.”

I looked around and spotted the water dispenser and I retrieved a cup from under the bed. I got up slowly, my gait uneven and walked towards the dispenser. I was in the process of drawing water when he addressed me again.

“It’s so weird that I’m about to start living with someone whose name I’m unaware of”

DarkGamer:
I'm starting a new book. I'll try and update regularly. You can check out the book on Wattpad. An Obsolete World by Emmanuel Akan. Vote if you like and make comments.
Follow me on socials
Instagram: @manuelakan
Twitter: @manuelakan0

We're On!

DarkGamer:
I'm cordially inviting the following Nairalanders and others readers to read my Science Fiction book. An Obsolete World. You can comment if you like the story or anything. I'm open to constructive criticism. If you also aren't interested, no problem either.

@busybrains @Destinylink @Dybala11 @Counter24 @Electricboy @Streetmade @eloyce @Gadafi @exseJ @DOAI @ashatoda @Miravision @pabon @nasynic @moura7 @kakadinho0880 @ghettochild4u @ijaw1stson @sologzy @Vortex369 @royalguy123 @ImModem @ashyizzy @Monishaa @kintola @FlyingTOMATOE @Missmossy @Larrysun @Centino @Ann2012 @BigDebbie @ASHSALT @Jaika @UtimateSpice @ena5four etc.

Thank you for reading. I really hope you find it interesting.

I'm here!! So this story is really great. You're a really talented author. Usually, I find science fiction too far fetched, but with the ongoing crisis, this story is sadly somewhat relatable. I love your writing style, it's really immersive. I feel like I'm actually in the story and I'm seeing things happen. The first person pov was certainly a wonderful choice. I also like the fact that our protagonist isn't naive and is reluctant to trust. That's very important to survival.
Wonderful plot, great talent, keep em coming bro

ena5four:


We're On!

Cool. I'll try my best so you'll enjoy the ride.