" Ugh, Why TF AM I NAKED ?????????"
Jake was bewildered. There were other feelings of confusion and fear too, but for now, his shock took the reins.
He blinked rapidly.
Around him, fire smouldered from scattered wreckage, glowing red in the dust-filled air. Burning metal, scorched earth, and the occasional bright orange spark danced in the air like dying fireflies.
He stumbled to his feet, choking as he inhaled. Fine sand scratched his throat like powdered glass.
The landscape looked... familiar, but not in a comforting way. Bleached red dunes, cracked stone, iron dust, it all screamed Mars.
"The hell? Am I on fucking Mars?" he mumbled.
" Nah, that ain't possible, that wouldn't explain the air I'm breathing, even tho the said air is currently sand grinding my throat lol ". He chuckled.
Note : His pathetic attempt at self humour has demoralise me , as an author. I shall disembowel myself for this atrocity. May your hearts find mercy for this mortal.
Shaking off the sand, Jake looked around for something, anything, to wear. Figuring out where the hell he was could wait until his balls weren't out.
He stumbled toward the wreckage. The ground sloped slightly, making his footing unstable.
Whatever the vehicle used to be, it was now a burning heap of twisted metal. Fuel pooled around it, still feeding the flames.
Jake scanned the wreck, eyes squinting through the smoke, until something caught his attention, a crate, half-buried in sand and soot.
He lifted it. Surprisingly light. Still, he hesitated.
" What if it had bomb in it?? Like those annoucements in public places :" Don't touch any suspicious luggage that has been unattended for a while , and inform immediately to the nearby authorities ".
" Ahh , whatever. There ain't any authorities nearby and idgaf about getting blasted right now. This probably the only good thing that has happened to me since a long time " .
The crate had a simple lock, which was an easy thing for him to open. The lid came loose and inside was something that shined so bright , that his eyes started to reflect it back to the skies, brighter than the sun there .
Jk, it was a worn brown shirt, a strange desert jacket, cargo pants, and a scarf bundled around something.
He unwrapped it and let out a grin. "Ooh, shoes. And not the local kind either."
He quickly got dressed, pulling on the outfit like a post-apocalyptic cowboy.
The scarf had a cool little pin on it. He pocketed it.
Then he saw it, half-buried in the sand nearby, a pistol.
It looked like it had seen some serious shit and was one shot away from falling apart. Still, he holstered it into the stitched side pocket on his pants.
IK, crazy stuff right.
But before he could continue his search, a voice made his soul jump Outta his body.
"Haiii, you fu....."
The strange voice falters to almost silent mumblings. Jake looks around the place where it came from , until he comes across a large metal plate with a literal head sticking out of under it .
" Ok, let me offically declare this might be the third most disgusting thing I have seen this year."
Jake retches, but controls himself. His eyes trying to fight his will to look at the face. The head was of an woman, but it had bunch of metal shards stick out of her right side of the face , but the left side of her skull was cut clean , with grey matter oozing out, sand covering it .
" Let me tell you tho, you really are a strong contender for second place , but nothing more gnarly than the dead whale body fluids blasting out. Let me tell you, you do not wanna see that".
The head under hood (patent pending) had a face showing equal amounts of confusion and frustration, along with a tinge of regret for getting his attention.
" You....wh..whyy..." Her mouth tried to form words , but blood kept filling her throat. But her eyes were fixed on him, like a predator staring at a defenseless prey.
" ..you..why did ..u do this..?" She stutters.
" Huh, me doing this ?? " Jake looks confused at her. " Bruh, what you talking about ??. I just , like , somehow got here . Idk where I'm, who you are , and you tell me i somehow blasted this hunk of a vehicle??. "
" YOU FUCKER, ARE YOU PLAYING GAMES WITH ME RIGHT NOW " The head's voice boomed . More of her brain stuff spilled out , her mouth filling with blood till her breathing becomes ragged rapidly.
" Yo yo, hold up. Let me get you out of the mess first."
She suddenly shakes her head , then turns sideways before spitting out the blood. " No use now , my lower body is gone, and I can feel my life giving away." She tries to stabilize her breath . " But don't you think you gonna walk away easily. We were transporting goods for Lord Hastar himself. By now, he might already know what has happened, and will hunt for YOU".
Jake looks at her in disbelief. I mean, what else can someone feel at this moment. All the events that happened till now, he had no control over it . He didn't even know if he is in the same earth anymore. And lord hastar is gonna get him ??!. Like, he don't know who that is, but that doesn't sounds good at all.
" Fufil me last wish..., gi...give me a warriors death." The strange woman ( or Head under Hood ™) shouts out.
" Huh, warrior's death ?" Jake looks at her curiously. " Isn't being cooked like kebab and head being almost blended macho enough for ya ?? ".
The woman grunts , but doesn't say anything.
She takes another deep breath, before talking again. " Give me a warrior's death by beheading me , take the machete stuck in my right fist for that. May death come soon so I can join my brethren in hades and kill for eternity" her voice turning to almost screams at this point.
" Damn, that's hardcore. But sure , whatever you want ".
He walked around the metal plate. Her arm was mangled, twisted unnaturally, and fused to the plate. The machete was there, but her fingers were welded into it.
He braces himself , while pry open her fingers from the machete .
Seeing no other option, he takes ahold of the machete , and then pulls it towards him. The fingers came off along with it. He quickly grabs some sand, pours on the blade , and cleans it off. It was a bit dull, but a good piece .
" Now.... do it quickly....and try to run away, as far as you can." . She grins mockingly " ofc, That won't help you, but might make the hunt more exciting " she cackles , before retching violently as the blood entered her stomach.
" Now....do it quickly" she orders. Jake walks near her head, while still staring at the machete.
But something had changed.
He slowly puts the machate on his left hand , while taking the scrap pistol out. His eyes staring it carefully , then turning to look at the woman.
The helpless prey had eyes of devil itself.
Her eyes widened with shock , but her lips shudder in fear.
" Warrior's death" his voice turn cold .
He points at her head, but suddenly he moves it towards her throat and shoots.
The woman starts to shudder in pain, her neck now filling blood in her lungs. Life had already been erased from her eyes , but the body still lashed around in pain, until it stops eventually.
He holster the pistol, slid the machete across his back, and climbed up a nearby plateau to get a hold of his surroundings.
Halfway up, he turned around.
From that height, he finally saw it.
A crater.
Huge. Deep. Violent.
Like something had fallen from the heavens and smashed the land open.
Something like... him.