Ground Zero
You haven't completely given up on your conscience. These people didn't do anything to you; they were probably just trying to find some place to be.
"Hold on! I got a medical kit!" you shout and run to go fetch it along with small wooden plank and some rope. When you come back the entire family seems to have calmed down a bit, you remove the trap from his leg and look at it. You didn't use anything with blades, so its just broken, not punctured in any way.
"Damn, it's a good thing I didn't use that bear trap I found, your leg would've been completely severed! Now if I remember reading this right, I have to reset the leg "
"Wait! You mean you've never done this before?" the man shouts.
"Well no, but I've been reading! Now brace yourself!"
"No Wait! AAAAAAAAGH! SHIT! That hurt!"
"There now I just have to tie this splint thing around your leg, and you'll be all set, well more or less. What the hell are you people doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be in a shelter or something?"
The woman answers your question.
"We were supposed to, but when we got to the GZS shelter we bought it wouldn't let us in! It just ate our debit card and said error! We tried like hell to get in, but the elevator door just wouldn't budge. When the bombs hit, we were in the shelter entrance foyer, and stayed there for a few days, but we realized we couldn't stay there forever, so we left and tried to find a nearby town that we might try to continue life as usual, but the one we found was quite unfriendly, they wouldn't even let us stay! This catastrophic event has made people paranoid and hostile!"
"Huh. People were like that before the bombs; did you think they'd be different afterwards?" you say.
Now the man speaks again, as he attempts to sit up
"Well I'd at least expect some hospitality. When we got there, they looked at us like we were going to loot the entire town."
"Probably thought you were, you know its going to take a while before most folks become trusting again. People are going to barely trust people they know. Hell, I heard they were rioting in the city before the bombs dropped. So I'd imagine there are lots of bad types out there willing to kill people over supplies as simple as fresh water."
"But you helped us."
"Yeah, I guess I did "
"Is this your store? Looks like you were better prepared than we were."
"Uh yeah, okay well I guess you guys can stay out here for awhile until you're ready to move on. Good luck."
As you turn to leave the woman speaks again.
"Hey wait! You mean you're not going to let us in? You'd just leave us out here? We told you, we were low on gas! And now my husband Jonathan has a broken leg! How are we going to get by?"
"So, you can drive can't you? Look, this isn't my problem. I helped out, because I realized you guys weren't bandits or some shit, but I'm not here to take care of you. I have my own concerns."
"But "
"Let it go Doris, I guess we should be grateful he fixed my leg and didn't kill us."
"Are we going to be okay Dad?" the boy asks, speaking up for the first time without yelling.
"We'll see Tyler, we'll see."
Ah fuck, you started to give shit and now it's coming back at you.
You turn around, and give in.
"Alright, you can come in, but you're staying in the topside of the store, you can even stay until your leg heals, but after that, you gotta go. I don't have supplies to sustain all of you indefinitely."
The family is very grateful, and moves in immediately.
Over the months you all get to know each other a little better though you still don't exactly tell them how you "acquired" this place. You just say your "Uncle Billy" gave it to you when he died.
Soon Jonathan's leg is much better, but you're wondering if you shouldn't let them stay on a more permanent basis; however as it turns out, that's exactly what Jonathan had in mind for his family except YOU weren't included.
This treachery for your good graces comes as a surprise one night, when Doris suddenly wakes you up by banging on the trap door, yelling about how she thinks there's someone out side and how Jonathan went to check, but she thinks he's in trouble. You immediately grab your shotgun and go see what's wrong.
You barely get out the front door, and you're suddenly hit in the head, knocking you to the ground. Jonathan grabs your shotgun and points it at you. Doris and Tyler come to the doorway.
"Doris, take Tyler down into the underground this'll be over soon I hope." Jonathan replies grimly.
Doris nods and then looks at you, with a sad expression.
"We're sorry about this we really are " she says and then takes her son away leaving just you and Jonathan. You stand up and brush yourself off.
"So, were you planning this all along or what?"
"Well I dunno nowadays, you don't really plan anything, it just sort of happens y'know?"
"Oh yeah, I know."
"Well you can understand that this is a good place for me and my family, and I can't allow you to just kick us out."
"Stupid bastard, I was just thinking about letting you all stay on a more permanent basis." you laugh. This response surprises Jonathan, and it almost looks like he's going to change his mind, but he doesn't.
" It's too late now. You'd never trust me now, and I'd always think you'd try to get revenge. You have to leave. Besides you said it yourself one time, there aren't an indefinite amount of supplies, to sustain all of us."
"Well you might as well pull that goddamn trigger John, because I'm not leaving."
"Come on, man I'm serious! I'll do it. I don't want to, but I got a family to think about and there's nothing that's gonna make me change my mind look I'll let you leave with some supplies. How about that? I mean you can take one of these vehicles or even mine! Just you gotta leave, we're taking this place now. I'm sorry."
Well it's not much of a choice, but it may be more preferable than death. Though you can't help but think of the irony that how you tried to do the right thing and got fucked in the ass big time, while when you murdered Billy and his wife, you hit the damn jackpot.
"Hold on! I got a medical kit!" you shout and run to go fetch it along with small wooden plank and some rope. When you come back the entire family seems to have calmed down a bit, you remove the trap from his leg and look at it. You didn't use anything with blades, so its just broken, not punctured in any way.
"Damn, it's a good thing I didn't use that bear trap I found, your leg would've been completely severed! Now if I remember reading this right, I have to reset the leg "
"Wait! You mean you've never done this before?" the man shouts.
"Well no, but I've been reading! Now brace yourself!"
"No Wait! AAAAAAAAGH! SHIT! That hurt!"
"There now I just have to tie this splint thing around your leg, and you'll be all set, well more or less. What the hell are you people doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be in a shelter or something?"
The woman answers your question.
"We were supposed to, but when we got to the GZS shelter we bought it wouldn't let us in! It just ate our debit card and said error! We tried like hell to get in, but the elevator door just wouldn't budge. When the bombs hit, we were in the shelter entrance foyer, and stayed there for a few days, but we realized we couldn't stay there forever, so we left and tried to find a nearby town that we might try to continue life as usual, but the one we found was quite unfriendly, they wouldn't even let us stay! This catastrophic event has made people paranoid and hostile!"
"Huh. People were like that before the bombs; did you think they'd be different afterwards?" you say.
Now the man speaks again, as he attempts to sit up
"Well I'd at least expect some hospitality. When we got there, they looked at us like we were going to loot the entire town."
"Probably thought you were, you know its going to take a while before most folks become trusting again. People are going to barely trust people they know. Hell, I heard they were rioting in the city before the bombs dropped. So I'd imagine there are lots of bad types out there willing to kill people over supplies as simple as fresh water."
"But you helped us."
"Yeah, I guess I did "
"Is this your store? Looks like you were better prepared than we were."
"Uh yeah, okay well I guess you guys can stay out here for awhile until you're ready to move on. Good luck."
As you turn to leave the woman speaks again.
"Hey wait! You mean you're not going to let us in? You'd just leave us out here? We told you, we were low on gas! And now my husband Jonathan has a broken leg! How are we going to get by?"
"So, you can drive can't you? Look, this isn't my problem. I helped out, because I realized you guys weren't bandits or some shit, but I'm not here to take care of you. I have my own concerns."
"But "
"Let it go Doris, I guess we should be grateful he fixed my leg and didn't kill us."
"Are we going to be okay Dad?" the boy asks, speaking up for the first time without yelling.
"We'll see Tyler, we'll see."
Ah fuck, you started to give shit and now it's coming back at you.
You turn around, and give in.
"Alright, you can come in, but you're staying in the topside of the store, you can even stay until your leg heals, but after that, you gotta go. I don't have supplies to sustain all of you indefinitely."
The family is very grateful, and moves in immediately.
Over the months you all get to know each other a little better though you still don't exactly tell them how you "acquired" this place. You just say your "Uncle Billy" gave it to you when he died.
Soon Jonathan's leg is much better, but you're wondering if you shouldn't let them stay on a more permanent basis; however as it turns out, that's exactly what Jonathan had in mind for his family except YOU weren't included.
This treachery for your good graces comes as a surprise one night, when Doris suddenly wakes you up by banging on the trap door, yelling about how she thinks there's someone out side and how Jonathan went to check, but she thinks he's in trouble. You immediately grab your shotgun and go see what's wrong.
You barely get out the front door, and you're suddenly hit in the head, knocking you to the ground. Jonathan grabs your shotgun and points it at you. Doris and Tyler come to the doorway.
"Doris, take Tyler down into the underground this'll be over soon I hope." Jonathan replies grimly.
Doris nods and then looks at you, with a sad expression.
"We're sorry about this we really are " she says and then takes her son away leaving just you and Jonathan. You stand up and brush yourself off.
"So, were you planning this all along or what?"
"Well I dunno nowadays, you don't really plan anything, it just sort of happens y'know?"
"Oh yeah, I know."
"Well you can understand that this is a good place for me and my family, and I can't allow you to just kick us out."
"Stupid bastard, I was just thinking about letting you all stay on a more permanent basis." you laugh. This response surprises Jonathan, and it almost looks like he's going to change his mind, but he doesn't.
" It's too late now. You'd never trust me now, and I'd always think you'd try to get revenge. You have to leave. Besides you said it yourself one time, there aren't an indefinite amount of supplies, to sustain all of us."
"Well you might as well pull that goddamn trigger John, because I'm not leaving."
"Come on, man I'm serious! I'll do it. I don't want to, but I got a family to think about and there's nothing that's gonna make me change my mind look I'll let you leave with some supplies. How about that? I mean you can take one of these vehicles or even mine! Just you gotta leave, we're taking this place now. I'm sorry."
Well it's not much of a choice, but it may be more preferable than death. Though you can't help but think of the irony that how you tried to do the right thing and got fucked in the ass big time, while when you murdered Billy and his wife, you hit the damn jackpot.