James could feel Catherine with him, her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. He wished he could stay with her forever like that, an embrace full of love and hope rather than pain or despair, but the world needed him. He knew he would wake up soon, back in the world with the travelling merchant, the guard, and the pack Brahmin, making their way toward Rivet City. He wanted to get there before the wild, hairless, relentless dogs came upon them again.
In the dream he buried his face in her hair and spoke to her, saying things he had not been able to articulate when they really held each other like that. "There's not a second goes by when I'm not thinking of you in some way," he insisted. "I want to see your face, feel your hands in mine, feel you against me. But I know that will never be. You left me and I can't get you back."
She pulled back and looked at him, her sad, dark eyes on his as she touched his cheek once again.
"I move like I imagine the damned do, cursed," he insisted, holding her tightly, unwilling to let her go again. "And I feel like it's only a matter of time. I don't know why I'm saying this. I don't know what can come of it. I know I can't get you back." He saw her, crying for him, even as he longed to do the same for her. "I don't know why this has happened to us. I feel like it's me, bad luck, poison. And I've stopped doing this world any real good."
"Don't be afraid," she whispered, just before someone's hand came to his shoulder, shaking him awake.
----
James was laying on a folded blanket, looking up at the man in the grey suit, his red tie standing out like blood as he knelt there. Fear lingered in his green eyes, the brilliant irides standing out against the tan the Wasteland gave him. The man had given up hope for the human race, doing his part to (as he said) "help ease the suffering of my fellow man... for a price." He was a cynical drug pusher operating under the guise of a healer, but options were short and at that point he would rather sacrifice his morals than his life because the dogs were still following him.
"Did you hear me?" Doc Hoff gasped. "We have to get moving. They've caught up to us, probably drawn by the Brahmin."
He looked out into the night, turning his back to the fire as the growling grew more intense, reaching an almost fever pitch. Then something roared and another greeted it. A shriek escaped the blackness, an animal sound of pain. He had seen it often enough in the Vault and the Wasteland, as someone with the means and the put down those that resisted. The caravaner was right: It was time to move on.
"What was that?" the man hissed.
"The Alpha," James replied, thinking of the big, black dog. "They went at him, he put it down. Whatever... whatever that challenge was, the Alpha put it down."
His travelling companion, a hardened Wastelander, nodded in return as they both stood, preparing to get moving before the pack found them. The Mercenary had taken out a handful during the day's march and both men had done their parts, the hunting rifle and 10mm sub-machine gun both kept up to the task by the merchant. As long as they made it to Rivet City they would be okay... Once he arrived and spoke to Madison, convinced her to rejoin the Project, they could wait out the animals.
Moon Rise - Ch 4/8
James could feel Catherine with him, her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. He wished he could stay with her forever like that, an embrace full of love and hope rather than pain or despair, but the world needed him. He knew he would wake up soon, back in the world with the travelling merchant, the guard, and the pack Brahmin, making their way toward Rivet City. He wanted to get there before the wild, hairless, relentless dogs came upon them again.
In the dream he buried his face in her hair and spoke to her, saying things he had not been able to articulate when they really held each other like that. "There's not a second goes by when I'm not thinking of you in some way," he insisted. "I want to see your face, feel your hands in mine, feel you against me. But I know that will never be. You left me and I can't get you back."
She pulled back and looked at him, her sad, dark eyes on his as she touched his cheek once again.
"I move like I imagine the damned do, cursed," he insisted, holding her tightly, unwilling to let her go again. "And I feel like it's only a matter of time. I don't know why I'm saying this. I don't know what can come of it. I know I can't get you back." He saw her, crying for him, even as he longed to do the same for her. "I don't know why this has happened to us. I feel like it's me, bad luck, poison. And I've stopped doing this world any real good."
"Don't be afraid," she whispered, just before someone's hand came to his shoulder, shaking him awake.
----
James was laying on a folded blanket, looking up at the man in the grey suit, his red tie standing out like blood as he knelt there. Fear lingered in his green eyes, the brilliant irides standing out against the tan the Wasteland gave him. The man had given up hope for the human race, doing his part to (as he said) "help ease the suffering of my fellow man... for a price." He was a cynical drug pusher operating under the guise of a healer, but options were short and at that point he would rather sacrifice his morals than his life because the dogs were still following him.
"Did you hear me?" Doc Hoff gasped. "We have to get moving. They've caught up to us, probably drawn by the Brahmin."
He looked out into the night, turning his back to the fire as the growling grew more intense, reaching an almost fever pitch. Then something roared and another greeted it. A shriek escaped the blackness, an animal sound of pain. He had seen it often enough in the Vault and the Wasteland, as someone with the means and the put down those that resisted. The caravaner was right: It was time to move on.
"What was that?" the man hissed.
"The Alpha," James replied, thinking of the big, black dog. "They went at him, he put it down. Whatever... whatever that challenge was, the Alpha put it down."
His travelling companion, a hardened Wastelander, nodded in return as they both stood, preparing to get moving before the pack found them. The Mercenary had taken out a handful during the day's march and both men had done their parts, the hunting rifle and 10mm sub-machine gun both kept up to the task by the merchant. As long as they made it to Rivet City they would be okay... Once he arrived and spoke to Madison, convinced her to rejoin the Project, they could wait out the animals.