Gallows Pull

[Mr White0161]

This is a short story I wrote a few months ago. The story takes place in a post apocalyptic world. The inspiration for this story comes from my vast musical repudiator, the name comes from an old Led-Zeppelin classic "Gallows Pull". There is much musical reference in this story. I hope you all enjoy...

 

"Leaves are falling all around me it’s time I was on my way..." I open my eyes to the roar of thunder to arise for another day on what used to be Earth. I rise off the ground looking around the shelter that I had just spent the night in. I think this used to be a school but I don't know, it all doesn't matter anymore. The world we all used to know has been destroyed by one of our major flaws. Because people are flawed, we spent more time thinking about ourselves and less about each other. I looked around the shelter seeing a midst of day light showing through a hole in the roof. All of a sudden I heard a crash behind me; it was a wall falling down. I walked toward the hole in the wall to what remains of the landscape of this post apocalyptic world, looking at the world now after a 12year long war. The year is 2020. In the world before I was a transport pilot in the Canadian Air Force. Just a few months ago I was shot down by a group of rebels over Alberta; I was transporting some troops and some supplies. My plane was hit; I lost my right wing sending me hurtling toward the ground. I thought I was dead, only because once I crashed I blacked out.

 

I don't know how long I was passed out for but I woke with a loud thumping against the fuselage of my plane. That is when I met Red; he pulled me out of the wreckage. I was still dizzy from the concussion but as Red pulled me out he was being shot at. Bullets hitting the side of the plane, Red shot back as he dragged me away from the crash. I remember he slapped me in the face and asked me if I was okay, bullets flying over our heads I nodded yes. He handed me his sidearm, I was thinking to myself that this guy must be a part of the military. But really he was just an outlaw wandering the wasteland.

 

"Hey!" Red shouted to me, I wake up from staring out the hole in the wall I turned to see Red standing. Red says "hey come on we gotta go". We set out once more on the road, no place set to be only looking for home wherever that may be. Wondering down this long highway rusted out cars and bomb craters all around. The sky is completely grey, life us now very different. There was a time where this road was busy with cars and lively people now that is all gone. For some reason we decided to travel west, no set location to be just head west.

 

After a few hours of walking, low on food, and very hungry we saw a diner on the side of the road. I nudged Red and pointed at the diner saying "do you think there might be some food or water in there?" Red replied "I don't know let’s check it out anyways." We slowly walked toward the diner, drawing the handgun I've carried with me ever since Red gave it to me. Slowly Red opened the door to the diner; I rushed in first Red close behind. We searched the diner seeing if anyone was there. Then we started searching for food and water. After a few minutes of scavenging through boxes and shelves we were able to find 3 bottles of water and some protein bars. As we are eating a small portion of food and water before we head back out on the road, out of nowhere we hear a loud rumble coming down the road. Red stands up and goes to the boarded up window to peek through a small crack. He looked back at me and said "There is a small motorcade on its way down the road" I looked back at Red with a very confused look on my face, thinking to myself "that could possibly have access to a vehicle in a world with very little fuel?" The motorcade was on its way to the diner Red readied his rifle setting up in a small position; I draw my handgun that Red gave to me when we first met.

 

The motorcade finally arrived to the diner. There were 2 vehicles with about 6 guys all together, 6 guys with guns. More than we could handle, but we have the element of surprise because they don't know were here...or do they?

I heard some commotion in the back room, and then out of nowhere 3 guys with guns came in from the back door. They saw us, Red open fire on them. A small firefight ensued, and then the shooting stopped. We managed to kill 1 and wound the other 2, they ran off. Someone from the group of people outside spoke with a very loud voice; he must have been the leader.

 

"Come out now and we won’t shoot" the man yelled, "Come out and we won’t hurt you" he said again "we have you out gunned, come out now." Red looked at me and I looked at him, we thought there is only 2 ways this is going to end. Red made the first move, he yelled back "alright were coming out, don't shoot" Red dropped his gun and I followed him out. 4 guys with guns standing there looking at us. I thought to myself that this is the end. The man walked up to Red hit him over the head with the butt of his gun, then 2 guys came and tackled me to the ground. They stripped us of all our gear and packs. The tied us up and threw us into the trunk of one of the cars that they came in.

 

The trunk was very small and not a comfortable place to be. The cars started up, we felt it when they started to head down the road. I have no clue how long we were traveling for, it could have been a few minutes or a few hours. They turned onto a bumpy road and travel down that down for about 5 minutes. Then they stopped, it was a relief that the ride was over. We heard them all talking and arguing for a few moments, then the trunk opened. The sting of the sun from being in a dark space for a long period of time stung our eyes. I was blind for a few seconds. They grabbed and pulled me and Red out onto the ground. The man who hit Red looked as he was talking to someone, looked like his leader. The leader seemed to be pretty angry that they brought us back. Another guy came out of nowhere and hit me in the head with something hard, it knocked me out. "Oh momma I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law Lawman has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home Oh momma I can hear you a ‘crying you're so scared and all alone Hangman is comin' down from the gallows and I don't have very long" I wake up, sitting on a platform. Red beside me, beaten for no reason. I looked around; someone out of nowhere came into my face and put a rope around my neck. He moved over to Red and did the same. I'm still trying to figure out what was going on. But it turns out these people some group of rebels, the same rebels that were shooting at Red and me a few months ago, the same rebels who shot down my plane.

 

I guess they found us and are here to finish what they started all those many weeks ago. Red looks to me and says "it was nice knowing you, and it was an honour to call you my friend" I was thinking to myself why he would say something like that, unless this really is the end. I looked back at Red and said "and knowing you was a great honour too my friend/" A small group of people gathered around us, we were above them all on some platform which I believed to be a gallows. The rebel leader walked up to us saying a few parting words, I didn't hear what he said my heart was beating too fast and all that came to mind was Stairway To Heaven. Then it all went silent.