Fallout : 2263.

.I. 23rd of October, 2077.

'You see, way back, before the bombs fell, there was not much to do, but waste the time, by either work, eat or sleep, not much to kill time with...

The time went slow, the day barely made it into night, the sun struggled to put himself to bed, time moved as if it didn't wanted to, as if it feared the day of tomorrow, the days to come...

But it all felt normal to all people, most felt as if it was another day in which the land ain't gonna plough itself, the cows won't milk themselves and the hen's eggs will not pick themselves up, and roll all the way to the house and climb on the counter.

The morning of that day everything changed, which began with the singing of the rooster, as every other morning. In the farmlands of The Plains Commonwealth, two and a half miles away from Oklahoma City, at the farm of Robert C. Wilson, a simple, modest farmer.

'Jack !', he yelled, as he walked out of the house, on the front porch. 'Come on, we have work to do...', he continued, while picking his teeth with a quill.

In the house, Robert's wife, Emma, was washing the dishes after breakfast.

'Jack, didn't you hear your father ? Jack !'

Upstairs, in the attic, among old and dusty boxes, and memorabilia, near the window, Jack was searching inside a chest for something.

'Where is it ! It was here last time I saw it...', he raised his head from the chest and looked around. 'This is where I left it !', he continued, as he got up, and looked around some more.

'Jack ? You up here ?', asked Emma as she walked up the stairs.

'I am.', her son responded.

'Well, come down sweetie, your father needs you. What are you looking for ?'

'Grandpa's hat...I left it on the chest, but now I can't find it.'

'I took it, it's downstairs. I thought you saw it. Now, come...'.

While the two, came downstairs, Robert, prepared the horses. You see, he was a traditional man, as he didn't love nor had any kind of technology in his home, besides the fridge. He had a truck, but rarely used it, a birthday gift from his oldest son and daughter, Michael and Debrah, who were now living in the city. Debrah was working as a Hairstylist, and Michael helped as an Economic Advisor, for most of the businesses in Oklahoma City.

Robert, was not very keen on living a life based on the value of money, all he did with the money he made from selling his crops, was pay the taxes. And if the refrigerator would break he'd buy a new one and that was it. He lived off the land he worked all year long. He tried to teach his children what he knew, but to no avail. For one wanted to become a mathematical genius and the other, his daughter, a designer. All he had left, and maybe the one in which he had put all his hope in, was little Jack, his youngest son, who was eleven years old.

Young Jack, seemed to like working the land, enjoyed watching the sky turn from yellow in the morning, to blue in the middle of the day than orange at the sunset, and later, slowly to a reddish dark.

Soon enough, his son walked out of the house, with his grandpa's hat on, he was heading to the stables, where his dad, had already prepared the horses. They were going hunting, as some foxes made a burrow not far from the farm, and began to venture closer to the hens coop.

'So, are we going ?', asked Robert.

'Yeah.', quickly answered the son, getting on his horse. 'Let's go Bill ! Hya !'

'Be careful !', said Emma, from the front porch, as the two left the farm and headed towards the river, half a mile away.

...

They left for few hours, then made their way back with two foxes on Jack's horse, Bill.

While walking towards the farm, Robert noticed a red pickup truck parked near the house. It was Michael's.

'He has come to visit, huh ?', murmured Robert.

'What's that ?' asked Jack. Walking in front of his father, holding Bill by the reins.

'Michael ! He has come to visit.', replied Robert. 'Probably your sister too.'.

'That's great !', said Jack with joy.

'Mhm, if you say so. Wonder what he wants now...'.

'Mom says he wants to help.'

'If he wanted to help he should've stayed here instead of fleeing in the city.'.

...

Soon, the two arrived back at the house. Michael and Debrah were sitting on the front porch. Emma, walked out of the house as well.

'They've come back.', said Debrah, as she stood up from her chair and went to greet them. 'Good hunt ?'

'Deb !', yelled Jack, letting go of Bill's rains and ran towards her.

'Hey !', she said laughing. 'You grew a bit since last time I saw you.', she continued smiling. Then she looked at her father. 'Dad, how are you ?'

'I'm fine.'. he responded, while taking the foxes off Bill's back.

'Mornin' dad.', began Michael. 'How's the truck ?'

'Useless. What's the reason of your visit ?'.

'Came to talk.'

'About ?', asked Robert.

I recall back then the feeling of urgency, but it might be also a feeling that changed during the years, as I did. I rather believe it was impatience, for I wanted Michael to end the talk he had with our father. Because I needed to talk about something with him myself.

They talked on the front porch while the rest of us went to take the horses to the stables.

'Debrah, my dear, how is your work ? Does it pay well enough ?', asked Emma. 'Is it enough to pay your bills, and there's the rent ?

'I, moved in with Michael, around four months ago.', Debrah answered.

'Why ? You didn't have enough money to pay the rent ?', asked our mother, worried. She was always concerned, gave her everything so that we could be healthy and happy. She was the kind one, while our father was a bit more harsh, he had rules, and high expectations of us. Yet when Michael said that he wanted to leave and settle in the city, he did mention his disappointment regarding his choice. But, he knew he couldn't stop him, nor change his mind, he was so much like him. He was his son after all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

'He lived alone, and he asked me to move in with him...', replied Debrah, walking towards her mother. Who was looking at her with very much love, and understanding. Proud, that her children cared in such a deep way about each other.

On the front porch of the house, Robert didn't look very satisfied with the offer his son had presented to him. He was standing in front of Michael with his hands on his hips, looking down, listening, moving his jaw.

'Michael, no !', he interrupted his son, with a deep roar, that was heard even from the stables.

'Dad, I-'. Robert interrupted him again, this time by placing his right hand on Michael's left shoulder.

'I understand you want to help me and your mother. But, we are fine here.', he looked in his son's eyes. 'I am sorry for being angry with you all this time and I want you to understand how much I love you, Michael. I made this life, for you, in my mind...A life that I thought you'd grow to appreciate as much as I do, I was wrong to force you...my first child...into something-'

'Dad. You didn't force me. I understand.'

'I know you do. Your my boy.', Robert replied. We never saw dad cry, never. Besides the one tear he allowed leave his eyes, when our grandfather died and that was some time ago. Until that day, when he talked with Michael. He didn't shed any tears for he held onto them, as he always did. 'But-'.

'Michael ! Look at it !', yelled Debrah, running out of the stables holding a device in her hand.

'Take Jack, you understand ? Take Jack.', resumed Robert, leaning towards his son, then taking Michael's head in his hand, touching his forehead to his. 'Take Jack and go.'.

Michael nodded. 'I-.'.

'I know, now go !'

Michael turned his back to Robert, then looked back at him.

At that second a big blast was heard from east, then light followed. Not long after the trees that sat not far from the farm began to incline west. Michael leaped towards the stables while pressing a button on the device he held in his hand, Debrah did the same and at the same time she looked at her mother and little brother back inside the stables, then her father on the porch.

Next thing she saw was Michael appearing behind Jack. Then nothing.

...

'Well, that is a pretty good story...', a woman said. 'They told me you were good. That you're the guy that turns waste into gold...'.

'I guess you listened the right people, then.', a man responded. He had a bag on his head, and his arms and legs duck taped to a metal chair.

'Tsk, tsk, tsk. I didn't say I believed them, did I ? Now, there's a nice reward for you, enough for a substantial amount of Jet or Med-X or Buffout...'. she continued with a dumb smile on her face.

'Oh, come on. I could get you more caps then those Oklahoma City losers. Just cut me loose. all right ? We can make a deal... Come on !', he replied.

'Here is your deal...', she resumed, while placing the barrel of her shotgun on her hostage's forehead. 'You get your brains blown out... And I get my hard earned caps ! It wasn't easy catching you. You killed half of my crew, it's blood paying for blood.'.

The room they were in was an old diner, half of it blown. On it's floor were resting the bodies of six members of the woman's crew. Each in his own puddle of blood, each with either a bullet in the head or a knife to the heart, others with a missing limb.

'So, no deal ?'.

What followed was the sound of two shotgun shells slipping into the chamber of the gun.

'No deal. It's about time I shut that mouth of yours.', she said laughing, holding the shotgun to the hostage's head. Slowly sliding her finger on the trigger.